


Remember Me

by 4theloveofWayhaught



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hawaii, Head Injury, Humor, Inspired by 50 First Dates, Mercedes with kids, Protective Wynonna Earp, Teacher Waverly Earp, amnesiac!Waverly Earp, calamity jane is a walrus, dolls is a penguin, marine biologist!Nicole Haught, there be sex but slowww burnnn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2019-08-27 07:35:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 41,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16698151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4theloveofWayhaught/pseuds/4theloveofWayhaught
Summary: What if Nicole Haught meets a beautiful girl named Waverly Earp, but the object of her affection forgets who Nicole is everyday? Well…Nicole’s up for the challenge and won’t leave her heart behind.Basically I recently watched 50 First Dates again and thought it was too straight, so I’m making it gay.OR the 50 First Dates AU no one asked for…





	1. Aloha

**Author's Note:**

> You don't need to have seen 50 First Dates to enjoy this story. Just read on to watch Waverly fall in love with Nicole every single day. Be ready to cry later on. Be ready for some NSFW later on. But for now, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

The water stretched out before her. Even in the middle of the ocean, the wind and current battled with the water, making waves crash against the side of her boat. Ocean water sprayed her face. The salty air had already taken the moisture out of her lips, and when her tongue peeked out to wet them, she tasted the ocean. Awestruck, she looked out into the vast ocean in front of her, leaving the island of Oahu behind. She looked over the edge of her boat and into the wake to see her favorite and most treasured sight – the sun casting a perfect rainbow on the ocean spray. She stood proudly behind the helm, swaying with practiced ease.

 

Nicole Haught couldn’t be happier. She finally set sail on her adventure to Canada to observe walrus wildlife. Years of schooling, training, and boat construction led to this moment. Her lips and fingertips tingled. She breathed in and closed her eyes, savoring it. Inhale…

 

The quiet and serene peacefulness broke the second the mast creaked at a dangerous angle. Then it completely gave way and tumbled into the deck in all of its epic glory. Although it was hard to hear the crash over Nicole’s heart breaking.

 

And exhale…

 

Nicole ran a tired hand through her unruly, wind-wrecked, short red locks. A quick whimper and her thoughts went rampant.

 

_Motherfu-_

~~~~

 

Nicole was sure the sight was straight out of a dumb Adam Sandler movie. Here she was, a captain of a gorgeous boat that had set off to save the underwater world, now stuck in an insignificant motor boat escaping her own damn ship wreck. Nicole sat there with her mouth set in a thin line, her eyes devoid of any spark of joy, and her brows in a crease. She motored on over to her prison. Perhaps even worse than the prison of her own mind. She reached land.

 

~~~~

 

“Perfect,” Nicole muttered under her breath.

 

She hated land. She hated people, particularly men. She’s hated people, _especially_ men, ever since she was a little gap-toothed 7-year-old and her father took her to the aquarium. She remembered tugging her dad’s calloused hand, pointing out every sea creature and reading the fun facts on each species’ placard. She only stumbled on a few words, but sounded them out confidently.

 

“Look! An octopus! They have three hearts and blue blood; they squirt ink to deter predators; and being boneless, they can squeeze into (or out of) tight spaces.

 

“Awww dad! Look at the little penguin!” Nicole squinted to read. “Most penguins are monogamous, meaning they remain with the same partner all their life.” She looked up at her dad with her deep brown, heart eyes. “Just like you and mom.”

 

Little did she know, her dad revealed himself to be a shithead dickweed and _most definitely_ did not hold the same ideals as a penguin.

 

Nicole let out a giggle at all the smaller children whimpering in fear at the shark exhibit. “Dad, don’t be scared, they’re harmless. They don’t prey on humans; they just get confused.” Stepping closer to the shark facts, she read out, “They can hear prey up to 3000 feet away. Woah.”

 

Now THAT sounded more like her father. She swore that the man smelled her homosexuality months before she had even come to terms with it. Plus, he treated her worse than any shark could’ve. He tore her apart, limb from limb, all for being gay. From that moment on, she swore off people, particularly locals and _especially_ men.

 

Nicole’s little feet stuttered to a stop as she came face to face with the most ginormous creature with tusks as big as her. Eyes wide, mouth gaping open, Nicole took a step closer to the glass encasement.

 

From that moment on, she found her true love. She would spend the rest of her life with walruses out in the water, never to return to this retched island.

 

\--

 

It was the worst feeling in the world, being land ridden with no escape. Nicole decided to at least take advantage of the time as she waited for the coast guard to clean up her boat. With a heavy weight in her stomach and her feet dragging along the shore, she walked up to a cute little breakfast place. A surfboard plastered on the top of the building read “Shorty’s Café”.

 

The bell dinged, signaling Nicole’s entrance.

 

The café seemed homey and comfortable. A counter surrounded the kitchen with a sparse number of patrons sitting on the stools sipping coffee and reading the paper. A scruffy looking old man with a tattoo across his face wore a Hawaiian shirt and bobbed his head in tune with the music as he cooked spam and eggs. An older woman passed in front of her, handing menus to a family sitting at a table in the front. As the graying hair waitress approached her, Nicole managed to make out what her name tag said – Gus.

 

“Aloha darlin’, what can I getcha?”

 

Exasperated, Nicole muttered, “Just a coffee please, thanks.”

 

“Now, darlin’, that ain’t no way to start your day. Especially a strappin' young thing like yourself. What have ya had to eat today?”

 

Nicole picked her thumb nervously under the scrutiny of the older woman’s stare. “Uhmm. I had…a Reece’s peanut butter cup and some Gatorade.”

 

Gus met that statement with judgmental silence.

 

“That’s not breakfast. I’ll getcha some spam and eggs. You need a nice breakfast girl.”

 

Nicole flashed her dimple thanking the kind waitress. As Gus left, the old tattoo face guy – Nedley - marched on over to where she was at the counter.

 

He grunted out with something like admiration in his eyes, “you like peanut butter cups?”

 

Nicole hesitated, straigtened up in his presence, and then answered, “well, yes sir, I do.”

 

Nedley’s mustache twitched. “You want to me to sprinkle some peanut butter cups in your eggs?”

 

A moment of awkward silence transpired as Nicole couldn't tell whether or not he was joking. After a few more pained seconds, his mustache twitched so Nicole let out a small laugh.

 

“No thanks, I’m alright.”

 

Nedley let out a bark of laughter. “Peanut butter cup. I like you.”

 

He continued to stare her down as he walked backwards. Nicole gave him a quick thumbs up, but then quickly chastised herself for being so awkward. Ugh. Interacting with the male species was so difficult. But as Nedley finally rounded the corner to the kitchen, she figured that she might actually like him. Tattoo Face. Nicole’s eyes swept past him to look at the rest of the eatery. Each table sat adjacent to a windowed wall, with a view that could rival anything a 5-star resort offered tourists visiting the big island. Nicole’s eyes continued to dance across the set up of the café, until they landed on a particular girl.

 

Not a girl, a woman. Not just a woman, but the most beautiful woman Nicole had ever laid eyes on.

 

The woman had billowing brown hair that called out to Nicole like a Siren, begging her to run her fingers through it. The brunette’s oceanic hazel eyes focused on the waffles in front of her. Her teeth tugged on her lower lip, her nose scrunched up in the most adorable way, and her forehead creased in utmost concentration.

 

Nicole’s breath escaped her in a sudden rush. The woman had laughed. And Nicole swore that her laugh was just as magical as the sound of the wind chimes her mother had made her right before she passed away.

 

The waitress from earlier crossed in front of Nicole’s vision and strolled right up to the angel with ease, seemingly not affected by the incredible light that poured out of the brunette.

 

“Aloha Waverly. Enjoying your waffle house?”

 

The most beautiful girl in the world – Waverly – turned, sending even more sparks out into the universe, as her eyes crinkled into crescent moons and she smiled up at the waitress.

 

“Gus! I love your haircut. And yes! It’s a pit-dwelling house from ancient Japan.”

 

Time slowed down. The edges of Nicole’s vision blurred until only the brunette was clear and perfectly saturated. Blood rushed in her ears and her heart pumped rapidly in her chest. Her palms clamed up and sweat built up on the back of her neck.

 

Nicole was suffering from a severe case of gay panic.

 

_Well shit._


	2. Wahine Nani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole meets Waverly and the two hit it off instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve decided to post 2 days early as a thank you for sticking along and continuing to read the start of this story! Tbh I was just really excited and wanted to post and let you guys read this next cute part. Wayhaught meet! Next week, I WILL post on Wednesday though and get back into the normal schedule. Enjoy 
> 
> I’ve bolded Hawaiian words! Translations below:
> 
> Wahine nani--> beautiful woman  
> Pololei--> right; accurate  
> Ka moana--> the ocean

Nicole’s feet dragged her into the same café from the day before. Shorty’s.

 

An invisible force had pulled her in that direction after she had gotten her destroyed boat back to the docks.

 

Mercedes, her ginger spice #2 best friend, offered to help her rebuild after she took her kids to daycare. It still surprised Nicole that Mercedes was capable enough to be a mother. Granted, in typical Mercedes fashion, her shenanigans led to five different men, each ending with her swearing and pushing a child out of her hooha. As her best friend, Nicole supported Mercedes through each divorce, pregnancy, and terrible twos. She stuck by her even when Mercedes accused her of being exactly the same except for being a “sweet little lesbian.”

 

“C’mon, Nicole, sweetie. We both hate locals and being tied down. It’s not my fault that I’m just hungry for Hungary tourist dick. Your ass is so top shelf that you’d attract any man on this island. You’re just lucky you have to stick with pussy and dildos, or else you’d end up just like me with these leeches,” Mercedes finished by pointing lovingly to the five screaming children.

 

“Mommmmyyy, what are leeschies?” Mercedes’ choir of rugrats asked.

 

Mercedes jumped, a little startled. “Oh! Well,” she shook her ‘supposedly better looking’ red hair while thinking up a lie that didn’t accuse her tots of being bloodsucking monsters, “they’re the girls.” She laughed while grasping her breasts.

 

“Ewwwww”, Nicole whined with the kids.

 

~~~~

 

In an effort to kill time until Mercedes was ready to start working on the boat, Nicole decided to get breakfast. But something broke her from her usual routine of going to the Hukilau Café. A gravitational pull wrenched her out of her perfectly tailored routine until she ended up standing on the patio at Shorty’s, looking in.

 

Nicole found the source that had pulled her into a never-ceasing orbit. Sure enough, there she was in the same booth as yesterday. _Waverly,_ Nicole thought. A beautiful name for a **wahine** **nani**.

 

Nicole made her way into one of the open seats at the counter. She sat next to a woman with pouty painted lips and an ugly as shit cubic zirconium ring on her finger. She remembers hearing Gus call her Ms. Stephanie Jones, clearly annoyed. Not her ideal company, but she wanted to gather her confidence to make her way over to the brunette waffle architect. Nicole kept stealing glances over her shoulder.

 

Waverly’s hair was long and slightly curling down once again today; catching the light ever so often in her natural highlights. A silky floral arrangement hung loosely on her arms and shoulders, and rested over a skin-tight black crop top. She wore the cutest crisscross bralette that gracefully brushed across her sleek collarbone. Nicole traced her eyes along the bralette until she reached her- NOPE!

 

 _God dammit, focus Nicole_. _You swore off locals. Walruses are your love. You can’t trust anyone else. And in order to be with them, you need to leave this dumb island and all of their ~~beautiful~~  dumb women behind. _

But Nicole didn’t even care. She just wanted to sit and watch Waverly build waffle houses. And today looked like an entirely different creation. She wondered what kind of house this was considering yesterday was a pit-dwelling one.

 

_How do I even remember that?_

 

Oh well. She sighed into her loving gaze. If she strained herself, Nicole could even hear Waverly humming as she worked.

 

Stephanie, the rude woman next to her, groaned while nodding her head towards Waverly, “Are you looking at her, or me? Cause you’re really creepy.”

 

Nicole’s cheeks flushed. “No, I- uh…just have a. Um. Knot in my neck….Ow.” She awkwardly rubbed her hand across the back of her neck.

 

Cringing from that embarrassing exchange, Nicole took that as a sign to make her move. She rubbed her sweaty palms along her creamy, alabaster thighs (curse her parents who made it so she could never get tan, not even in Hawaii). She ran a hand through her purposefully detangled hair and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and all she saw was _Waverly Waverly Waverly_. Nicole couldn’t figure out why she was so enraptured with this one girl, but she couldn’t wait to find out. With that, Nicole swaggered over to Waverly’s booth-

 

-and veered right to the empty booth across from her. Ugh.

 

Now Nicole sat directly across from Waverly. She decided to wait for a perfect moment to present itself for her to introduce herself.

 

“Hey peanut butter cup,” Nedley’s gruff voice brought Nicole out of her meticulous strategizing.

 

Nicole relaxed. “Hey tattoo face.”

 

“You came back,” Nedley stated with a satisfied smirk on his face.

 

“Well yeah, of course! Your spam and eggs are some of the best on the island. Mind cooking me up another batch today?”

 

“You got it, peanut butter cup.”

 

Nicole smiled at Nedley walking away and then turned back to the enchantress in the booth in front of her. But suddenly, all of the pieces of her plan clicked together.

 

Waverly’s tongue peeked its way out of the corner of her mouth and she desperately tried to finagle a way to give her waffle house a waffle door.

 

Nicole looked diagonally down to her own table to find a container filled with toothpicks. She plucked one out and confidently strolled over to Waverly’s booth. Her heartbeat quickened the closer her hand got to Waverly’s hand, all sun kissed skin and delicately long fingers. Nicole placed her hand on Waverly’s and swore she could’ve died happily right then and there, but she was on a mission.

 

“I didn’t realize,” Nicole stuck her toothpick in the top of the waffle house. “Shorty’s had,” she shoved the toothpick through the roof. “An Extreme Makeover: Home Edition competition,” and she settled the toothpick into the tiny square piece of waffle that Waverly treated as the door. “And then,” as she got the waffle securely in place, Nicole happily imitated the door as she turned it in and out. “Creak. Creak.”

 

Mission completed.

 

Finally satisfied with her part, Nicole gave her best crooked smirk that exuded her cocky side and looked up to find the angel staring at her in awe.

 

Waverly beamed. “That was so clever. Wow. Thank you!”

 

“Yeah. Sometimes you need an outsider’s perspective to get it just right.”

 

“You’re right. Absolutely. Sometimes you just can’t get it yourself until you see it from a different angle.” Waverly shyly bent her head down, but kept her eyes up and trained on Nicole. She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth. “I’m Waverly, by the way.”

 

“Nicole. Nicole Haught.” They shook hands and felt sparks of electricity shoot up their arms at the contact. Nicole couldn’t get the butterflies in her stomach to shut the fuck up and calm down. They stayed like that, hand in hand in greeting, for a few moments. Nicole finally got to see Waverly. She finally got to look into her eyes and see who this woman was. Eternally grateful for just that little moment, that little touch, that little connection, Nicole went to turn to leave when the most beautiful proposition was offered to her.

 

“Nicole,” Waverly said softly. “I see that you’re alone. And- well, I’m alone.” She took a break to swallow. “It would be a shame to have each of us occupy an entire booth. Plus, I’d enjoy your company. Would you like to sit? Er, with me?”

 

Getting past the peanut butter cuppy feeling in her throat, Nicole successfully unstuck her words. “Yes, I’d love that.”

 

~~~~

 

Waverly threw her head back in laughter. She reached forward to hold Nicole’s hands –something that Nicole equally loved and equally hated due to the whirling in her stomach.

 

Nicole scoffed and then just laughed along with Waverly. “Please! Like anyone actually enjoys that smell.”

 

Waverly tugged Nicole’s hands up close to her face. She closed her eyes, scrunched up her little nose, and breathed in. She ended with a satisfied exhale and a smile brighter than the Hawaiian sun.

 

Nicole shook her head softly. “I just don’t believe anyone could like that strong smell of fish.”

 

Waverly wiggled in excitement. “There’s actually _two_ reasons how I can prove you wrong. And trust me,” Waverly winked. “I always end up on top.”

 

Nicole’s eyes bulged and her face turned the same color as her hair. In sudden realization, Waverly looked the same.

 

“Er. Um- I mean. I mean I always end up being right. Correct. Suuuuper accurate. Like top of my class kind of top.” Waverly finished off with half-hearted finger guns. She then curled in on herself- mortified.

 

After a laughing fit that left her abs cramping, it was Nicole’s turn to reach forward and grasp Waverly’s hands. “Hey, hey. So prove to me I’m wrong. What are your two reasons?”

 

When Waverly still didn’t look up, Nicole gently touched the bottom of her chin and nudged up. Nicole flashed her most sincere smile and coaxed the brunette back into the conversation.

 

Satisfied that Waverly was okay and actually happy, Nicole teased. “Alright Waverly. Prove to me that you’re right. Correctamundo. **Pololei**.”

 

Waverly stuck her tongue out at Nicole. She cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter. “First point is the fact that this allowed me to realize that you’re a juxtaposition. I originally thought you were some kind of architect since you managed to get a working waffle door on my Mesopotamian mud-brick house. But your smelly hands imply that you work elsewhere, doing something involving a career with the sea.”

 

Nicole mock shouted. “Ding ding. One point goes to Miss Waverly.”

 

Waverly rested her head in her hand and pouted. “Well that just gives way to a whole onslaught of new questions. Like what do you actually do for a living? Are you still an architect, but just for underwater environments? Did Nedley let you help with the spam earlier? What if you-“

 

Waverly stopped her rambling when Nicole started laughing. Waverly joined in, crinkle eyes and all.

 

“Okay!” Nicole breathed. “First of all, no. Tattoo Face and I did not spend our morning bonding over the delicacy of spam and eggs. Second, I will answer all your questions after you tell me reason number two why you could possibly like smelling my fishy hands.”

 

Waverly quieted and she got this faraway look. Nicole managed to see a brief moment of sadness cross over her eyes before Waverly shook her head and a smile graced over her features once again.

 

“The second point,” Waverly emphasized, “is because that smell makes me think of my big sister Wynonna. She and her boyfriend, Doc, go on an annual fishing trip and leave me for a few months at a time. At first, I love the freedom. But only after a couple of weeks, I start to notice how quiet the house is. I just miss them so, so much. The day they get back, I always run as fast as I can across the dock to get to them. Last time, I slammed so hard into Wynonna that we both tumbled into the water! That was freaking hilarious. But anyway, my favorite thing in the whole world is when I get to hold Wynonna in my arms. I never want to let go. It’s that exact moment that makes me feel loved, happy, and home. When her strong arms are wrapped around me, and the reek of fish fills my nose. That ‘stench’ that you complain about, solely reminds me of love.”

 

Nicole had never listened so intently before in her existence. Every word out of Waverly’s mouth was another sneak into the story of her life. Nicole felt like she was only just breaking the surface. Seeing the way Waverly’s face lit up talking about her sister was inspiring. Nicole vied to be the reason that Waverly felt just a fraction of that same happiness around her.

 

Nicole rested her elbows on the table, hands in the air with her palms down. “Well then, darlin’. Sniff away.” Waverly eagerly grabbed on.

 

Nicole sealed the deal not with a kiss, but with a dimple and a wink. Waverly sniffed deeply.

 

~~~~

 

“Stingrays are known for their venomous tails. Dolphins are known for their intelligence. Walruses are known for their--“

 

Waverly interrupted. “Their tusks!”

 

Nicole shrugged. “Well, yeah, but I was going to say…” She trailed off.

 

“Say what?”

 

“Nah, nevermind.”

 

“Oh c’mon! What are walruses known for?”

 

“Okay, okay. Well, um. Male walruses are known for their…quite large,” Nicole made a vague and suggestive gesture. “Male parts. Actually known to be the second largest of all mammals.”

 

“What?!” Waverly yelped and then burst out laughing.

 

“Enough about me! C’mon. I have to ask, seeing as it’s a clearly well-crafted art form you’ve mastered,” Nicole teased. “Why do you build waffles houses?”

 

Waverly’s eyes lit up at the opportunity to share her passion. “Waffle houses are my way of expressing two things that are important to me- my love of art and my love of history. Oh, and of course my love of waffles! I can study ancient civilizations and see how they lived. Then I get my creative juices flowing to artfully recreate them during my breakfast.”

 

“And when you’re not making the Taj Mahal of waffle houses, what are you doing?”

 

“Excuse you! I’m planning on making my next waffle creation Chichen Itza, thank you very much.”

 

Nicole chuckled. “No, but seriously. Someone as creative and intelligent as you probably does incredible work.”

 

“I like to think I do. I’m a kindergarten art teacher. I have the great honor of working with kids everyday.”

 

“Wow,” Nicole sighed in aspiration.

 

A moment of silence transpired between the two as they basked in each other’s presence. Nicole’s mind ran rampant with how much she admired the woman sitting in front of her. Thoughts of kissing her beautiful lips also snuck their way into her head, but she tried to ignore those as best as she could. She realized that all this time, she hadn’t thought once about her broken boat and broken dreams. For some reason, the weight settled on her shoulders lessened their load just a little. Maybe there was room in her life for more than just the walruses…Nicole wanted nothing more than to just appreciate Waverly. _Waverly_. Constructer of waffle houses. Educator of children. Scholar of history. Maker of art. Smeller of fishy hands. Exemplifier of kindness. Giver of compassion. Woman of beauty. Eyes of **ka moana**. Lips of magic. Muscles of steel. Boobs of—

 

“We’re closing to set up for lunch.”

 

The two women broke out of their stupor to look up sheepishly.

 

“Whoops, sorry Gus.” Waverly shrugged towards Nicole. “Guess we better get going.”

 

Nicole’s heart soared in hope when she saw Waverly experience a twinge of sadness in her words. The two stood up to leave Shorty’s, ending their extended breakfast.

 

“Walk out with me?” Nicole offered and extended the crook of her elbow out for Waverly to hold.

 

“I’d be happy to.”

 

Waverly grabbed a hold of Nicole’s arm and nothing felt more right in the universe. They continued talking and laughing as they exited the café. Their strides became shorter and steps slowed down as they neared their cars. Waverly tugged them along until they reached a worn, red Jeep.

 

Turning around with her shoulders slumped, Waverly pointed to the Jeep. “This is me. I actually have to go. It’s my sister, Wynonna’s 27thbirthday today. Every year we go up to Peacemaker Plantation to pick a pineapple. It’s a silly tradition, I know, but I love spending time with her and I have to leave now if we’re going to make it in time.”

 

“No worries. I completely understand. Wynonna is a lucky woman to have you as a sister. I really, really had a wonderful time with you Waverly.”

 

Waverly looked down at her feet and seemed to think for a second. Then, her eyes looked up and she batted her eyelashes.

 

In a sudden bout of confidence, Waverly took a deep breath and blurted out. “Would you like to do this again tomorrow? I mean, tomorrow’s Monday and I have to work. But I need to eat breakfast. I don’t always eat breakfast here, but I could- could definitely make it in here early. That is, unless you have somewhere to be. Your walrus and…yeah. Um…”

 

“Hm. Well it’s Monday which means I have to- yeah, no, I have absolutely nothing to do and no prior commitments.” Nicole clutched Waverly’s hand, kept eye contact with the other woman, then leant down to kiss it. “I would be honored to.”

 

Waverly bit her bottom lip in barely concealed excitement. “Okay, tomorrow breakfast.”

 

“Tomorrow breakfast.”

 

“Waffle house?”

 

“And spam and eggs. Courtesy of Tattoo Face.”

 

Waverly giggled at that. But when Nicole started to leave, Waverly gripped her hand harder. “Wait! Just one more for the road?”

 

Nicole laughed. “Sniff away.”

 

“Best smell in the world.”

 

“It’s definitely something.” Nicole said skeptically.

 

After a final whiff, Waverly backed away until she awkwardly ran her hip into the corner of her jeep. “Ow! Oh fudgenuggets.” She continued to berate herself under her breath, making it hard for Nicole to grasp what was happening. So Nicole chose to just laugh instead. Waverly backed away from her parking spot and threw a glance over her shoulder towards Nicole. Then she gave her signature smile and wave.

 

Nicole waved and stood there for a moment, watching Waverly drive away.

 

“It’s definitely something…” she whispered dreamily.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter delves into more of Nicole's background and her life at the aquarium. That means you'll be introduced to Jeremy, Mercedes, Dolls the penguin, and Calamity Jane the walrus.
> 
> As always, please let me know if you like it and if there's an audience who wants more! It really helps motivate me to write :)


	3. Mālama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek into Nicole's life at the Sea Park with all of her friends, anxieties, and shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Mālama--> to take care of, preserve, protect, maintain  
> Kulikuli--> Shut up!  
> Punani--> vagina (‘pun’ means blossom and ‘nani’ means heavenly)  
> Mālama holoholona--> animal protection  
> wahine male hou--> Bride
> 
> Please let me know if you guys like the Hawaiian words dispersed throughout the chapter!

“Shit on a dildo OUCH!”

 

“Calm down Mercedes, you did this to yourself.” Nicole pulled the last stitch through Mercedes’ abdomen and finished closing her wound.

 

Mercedes laid on the couch in Nicole’s office at the Sea Park. Her office shared a transparent wall with the dolphin exhibit. It wasn’t too big of a place, but it was enough so that Nicole could do her medical research, perform veterinarian procedures, do work on her desk, or sleep on her couch. All too frequently, unfortunately, Mercedes took up her nap time laying on Nicole’s favorite pillow; and today, Nicole spent her free time stitching up another one of her friend’s injuries.

 

“Well that really freaking hurt. I thought you were trained to do shit like this.”

 

“I am! But I’m trained to do this on sea animals, not on dumbass humans.”

 

“I’m a mammal,” Mercedes scoffed. “Same difference.”

 

“Yeah okay, sure,” Nicole mocked. She turned to Mercedes’ kid brigade, who followed their mom everywhere, and said, “If you don’t want to end up like your mommy with a fake eye and bleeding on Aunt Nicole’s couch, then respect sharks’ territory and don’t try to pet them.”

 

“Oh please, Haughtie,” Mercedes waved off Nicole’s ‘ludicrous’ statement. “Sharks are like dogs. They only bite when you touch their private parts.” She clapped her hands and squealed. “Oooo, that should be the title of my documentary!” She fixated on her youngest. He balanced a hand-help camera and pointed it at his mom as she repeated herself. “Sharks: They Only Bite When You Touch Their Private Parts.” All of her mini-me’s giggled.

 

Nicole glared at Mercedes. “You’re disgusting. You’re going to rub off on your kids one day. Oh god, why did you have offspring?”

 

Nicole’s favorite penguin that followed her around squeaked in delight. He seemed to agree with the demeaning question.

 

“ **Kulikuli** , Dolls!” Mercedes retorted.

 

Challenged, Dolls waddled after Mercedes who realized she was in deep shit. She leapt off the couch but Dolls intercepted her and pecked aggressively at her feet. The hostile little asshole was tough and loved the alpha mentality.

 

“Alright, alright Dolls. Enough!” Nicole managed to get the penguin to lay off of her friend, for now. “You’ve charged her for treason, now get outta here.”

 

Dolls immediately backed off. But before he waddled back to his exhibit, Nicole snuck him a slight fish as a treat for taking her side against Mercedes.

 

Mercedes groaned. “You two are so annoying, always double teaming against me.”

 

Nicole ignored her and gave Dolls a little whipped cream on top of his next fish.

 

“Ugh, you two make The Notebook look bleak.”

 

SQUAK.

 

Nicole laughed and pushed Dolls out of the way. She walked over to her desk in the tiny office to put her medical supplies away. She was accustomed to cleaning and stitching Mercedes’ wounds. Her friend was a wild one and, in Nicole’s opinion, took too many risks. But, as Mercedes always said, “As long as the sharks don’t take away my beautiful face, then we’re good.”

 

“Tell that to your fake left eye,” Nicole muttered under her breath. She kept the comment more to herself because she suspected it made Mercedes self-conscious, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

 

Mercedes’ daughter drew Nicole’s attention, “Nicole. What’s wrong with that turtle?” She pointed up at the x-ray pictures of a turtle Nicole examined earlier.

 

“Oh him?” Nicole walked back into the room to stand next to the pictures. “His lungs have problems after smoking all of his turtle weed. Isn’t that right, Mercedes?” She smirked.

 

“What?” Flustered, Mercedes whined, “I don’t smoke weed.”

 

Dolls squaked in laughter at her blatant lie.

 

“Didn’t you leave you little mongrel?!”

 

Nicole shrugged. “What can I say? Dolls likes calling you out on your shit.”

 

The gaggle of children remained oblivious to the adults and played with Dolls, much to the penguin’s annoyance.

 

Mercedes pulled Nicole away from them to talk in private. She had to get the gossip on the hot brunette that plays with her food. She pushed Nicole’s shoulder. “Now, spill bitch! Did you get into her waffle house?” Mercedes wiggled her eyebrows. “Did you get a nice taste of her **punani**?”

 

Nicole pushed Mercedes back—hard. Her embarrassment shined in her rosy cheeks, tense muscles and abrupt coughing fit. “No! It-it wasn’t like that.”

 

“Mommy wha’s a **punani** and why does Aunt Nicole wanna eat it?”

 

Mercedes mouth curled downward. “It’s the…state bird of Calgary.”

 

Her offspring nodded their tiny red heads in astonishment at learning a new word.

 

Nicole scanned her friend up and down. “Damn, that was quick thinking. Also, shit, your kids have astonishing hearing.”

 

“I know.” Mercedes considered her brood before turning back to Nicole. “They suck.” She deadpanned. “They’re good at everything.”

 

Nicole chuckled. “And the parent of the year award goes to…”

 

“Well at least I’m not the one who’s in the running for bachelor of the year. Because honey, you’re clearly sucking at that.” Mercedes mimicked a blow job.

 

“Mercedes, I’m serious. Waverly’s different. We just…talked and built waffles houses. How can someone so cute be so equally sexy? She’s just…she’s special” She tried to act nonchalant; but, her ridiculously telling heart eyes gave her away.

 

“Oh Nicole, that’s dangerous.”

 

“What’s dangerous? Nothing’s dangerous. I’m not in danger.” Nicole stumbled as she tried to walk away.

 

Mercedes grabbed ahold of Nicole’s shoulders. “Listen carrot-top. Do you honestly want to settle down with some broad? Do you want to be forced to wake up to the same person every day? If you get stuck with this chick, you won’t be able to go on your big trip to Canada. I thought the only thing you wanted to wake up to every day was your walrus? And I don’t mean that as an innuendo for your pussy.” Mercedes stage whispered and winked.

 

Nicole rolled her eyes and huffed.

 

“You’ll end up like me, stuck with an annoying, _ugly_ dummy.”

 

The kids whined. “We’re not ugly!” “Or dummies!” “Only Tucker is annoying!” “No I’m not! You are!”

 

“Babies,” Mercedes consoled her children, “I was talking about old and ugly Nicole.”

 

Nicole punched her in the boob.

 

Mercedes continued. “Can you believe Mommy has to be stuck with a helpless, romantic, gay walrus lover for the rest of her life? All because she can’t leave the island because she has all of you adorable munchkins.”

 

The kids thumped into their mom, collapsing into a giant hug filled with giggles.

 

Dolls interrupted the moment, squaking at the loss of affection.

 

“Attention whore,” Nicole muttered under her breath, directed towards Dolls. As all of the tiny humans fled back to chase the penguin, Nicole turned to Mercedes, “You know, he likes to act all stoic and unfeeling, but the second you offer that animal any hint of love, affection, or fish sundaes, all of a sudden he’s a pack animal.”

 

“Oh shush. We’re not talking about a penguin’s inability to admit his capacity to love. We’re talking about the same situation being applied to you. Look, if you truly think this girl is—“

 

“Waverly,” Nicole interrupted.

 

“What?”

 

“Waverly. She’s not just a girl. She’s Waverly.”

 

“Ohhhhkayyy. Anyway, if you truly think this ‘Waverly’ is the tits, then you should go for it.”

 

Nicole’s jaw dropped. “Just five minutes ago you told me I was making the biggest mistake and abandoning my two true loves: walruses and my prowess as a sexual goddess who could have crazy lesbian sex with as many women as I wanted.”

 

“First, I never called you a sexual goddess. Second, yes; but now I want to live vicariously through you! If I were to get freaky with anyone, I’d end up with another kid. I’m incredibly fertile.” Mercedes gave a smug smile. “If you give her the wakikikiki sneaky between the cheeky, I can get through another weekend thinking that I did it. Does she have big jugs? Oooo I hope you ride her face! Last time I got tongue fucked I swear I almost—“

 

Nicole shook her rapidly trying to rid her brain of the mental image. “No, no, no, please dear god make it stop. Mercedes stop making fun of—“

 

“Nicole!” Their cringe worthy conversation ended curtly when Jeremy rushed into the office yelling. “It’s CJ.”

 

Nicole’s stomach plummeted and she instantly ran to her co-worker, Jeremy, who shifted from foot to foot nervously. The two panicked and flew over to the other side of the park towards the walrus exhibit. Calamity Jane was Nicole’s favorite, particularly because of her rebellious nature. She couldn’t let anything happen to that fatty. She couldn’t let anything happen to any of her animals. As she ran, Nicole remembered her first day at work…

 

~~~~

 

_After 3 summers of volunteering and hours upon hours of studying, Nicole acquired a position in the big leagues. There wasn’t a grand ceremony or anything. It was solely Nicole’s superior handing her the keys to her office. When her boss, Bobo, reached to hand her the keys, she decided to make her own swear-in ceremony._

_She grasped his hand with the key inside and held on tight. She said, with tears building up in her eyes, “My job here is to serve and protect all sea creatures and underwater life. I gratefully accept this opportunity.” She shook his hand firmly once more and earnestly stated “ **Mālama holoholona**.” She smiled widely._

 

_Bobo did not, and instead nonchalantly dropped the keys in her hand and reported to her that she needed to check up on one of the seals experiencing anal blockage._

_Buzzing with excitement, Nicole saluted him and continued on with the work that she loved—to serve and protect those living underwater._

 

~~~~

 

They reached the exhibit and Nicole made her way straight towards the wailing walrus. She slid across the icy floor on her knees, colliding with the thick stomach.

 

“Hey girlie. What’s goin’ on, Calamity, huh?” Nicole stroked CJ’s ginger-tinted whiskers.

 

Jeremy reached forward to do the same, but CJ swung her tusks at him. “Jeremy, you _know_ she doesn’t like men. Back off.”

 

“Yeah well who does?”

 

“Aren’t you gay?”

 

Jeremy gave a high pitched giggle. “Well…yeah! But like, you know, I understand from Calamity’s point of view that men typically-“

 

“Jeremy!”

 

“Yes! Right. Focus Jeremy. Got it.”

 

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Go check the temp of the pool.”

 

Jeremy darted to the edge of the enclosed water and belly-flopped in.

 

Hearing the splash, Nicole spun around to greet a sopping wet, drowned rat version of her co-worker. “What the _hell,_ Jeremy?? I meant check the thermometer!”

 

Jeremy frantically nodded his head, recognizing his mistake.

 

Nicole huffed. She brought out her stethoscope to listen to CJ’s airways.

 

Jeremy brought both his hands up, stopping her. “Woah! You had a stethoscope in your pocket this whole time? Are your pants doubling as Hermoine’s never-ending bag?”

 

“It’s the Sea Park, Jeremy. I carry a lot of shit in my pockets. Now, I don’t need a freaking Star Wars reference; go get fish from the barrel.” Nicole directed.

 

Jeremy saluted and ran over to the ice bucket, grabbing two fish from the top. He brought them over to Nicole, who considered them for a second.

 

Nicole squinted and pursed her lips. “Eh. These are a little too warm. I’m going to need you to reach to the bottom of the barrel, okay?”

 

Nicole heard another splash and whipped her head towards the noise. She found Jeremy’s legs sticking straight up from the barrel after having dove face first into the bucket filled with ice and dead fish. Nicole couldn’t help but smirk.

 

Jeremy scrambled out of the barrel, shook like a frigid wet dog, and slid over to where Nicole sat next to CJ.

 

“These will do.” Nicole grunted as she took the fish. She brought them up in front of CJ’s nose. “C’mon girl. Calamity, take the goddamn fish, you stubborn ol’ mule of a walrus.”

 

“It’s not working!” Jeremy cried out.

 

 _SLAP_. Nicole hit him in the face with the fish.

 

Jeremy’s hyperventilating stopped and his eyes grew wide as he stared at Nicole.

 

“Sorry I had to slap you in the face with a fish, but I needed you to calm down. Are you calm?”

 

“Yes. Yep. Sí señorita.”

 

Nicole rolled her eyes.

 

The fish maneuver wasn’t working and the situation grew in its severity. Sea Park attendees crowded around the glass encasements. Frantic murmurs filtered into the exhibit. Unbeknownst to all, Dolls had waddled out of Nicole’s office and snuck behind a rock, trying to blend in and watch.

 

Assessing the situation, Nicole decided to perform manual chest compressions to get CJ breathing. With each push, Nicole heard a gasp or a yelp coming out of Jeremy, who provided no help in the situation. He excelled more as the researcher type, while Nicole appreciated the hands-on part of the job.

 

Jeremy’s talking accelerated and the octave of his voice amplified. Fed up, Nicole gave a powerful push down on the walrus.

 

Time stopped as Calamity Jane opened her mouth. Her mouth didn’t open to breath though. CJ opened her mouth and projectile vomited for nearly 20 seconds.

 

All over Jeremy.

 

Nicole gagged. The crowd gaped. Jeremy stood stock still.

 

CJ sat up proudly after she emptied the contents of her fishy stomach. Nicole glanced up from her beloved walrus to find Jeremy covered from head to toe in the raunchiest, chunkiest, muck colored bile. But Nicole’s jaw dropped when Jeremy actually smiled.

 

“This is why I got into this business.” He swallowed and grimaced. “To save animals.”

 

Nicole gave him a weak smile. “Great job Jer. Um.” She licked her lips. “Why don’t you go wash yourself off.”

 

Jeremy nodded and walked away towards the staff locker room.

 

Alone at last, Nicole burst out laughing. It was the clenching your stomach, not making any noise, tears falling out, gasping for breath type of laughing.

 

CJ joined in, whistling and nodding her broad head wildly. She raised her flipper to Nicole, waiting for a high five.

 

Nicole leaned down to slap her flipper. “Yes!” Nicole yelled out and continued laughing. “I knew you were going to burp, but the vomit?! That added another level. That’s what he gets for putting pickles in my lunch order!”

 

Nicole danced and CJ happily joined in by waddling back and forth. Out of nowhere, Dolls came in squeaking away. The three of them danced like the little delinquents they were.

 

~~~~

 

The sun had already reached its peak and started its descent. People milled about the Sea Park, with murmurs about that one worker that got barfed on by a walrus. Attendees’ noses wrinkled during the last feeding time of the day. The last of the dolphin shows ended.

 

Nicole and a newly cleaned Jeremy squatted next to a seal as they finished up an ultrasound.

 

“Congrats Gretta, you’re going to be a mama.” Nicole pat the seal’s stomach and urged for her to slide back into the water.

 

They cleaned their hands and continued their rounds through all of the exhibits. The otter habitat welcomed them with excited whines.

 

Nicole kept fidgeting and worrying her lip.

 

“Are you okay?” Jeremy asked. He reached down and grasped onto his dick. It was a weird thing he always did when he guessed his friends faced trouble or experienced negative emotions. “Nicole?”

 

“Um, yeah. Yeah I’m good.” Nicole stuttered. “I’m just thinking about tomorrow.”

 

“What’s tomorrow?”

 

“I have a date.” Nicole whispered.

 

Jeremy nudged her. “What?”

 

“I said I have a date. Tomorrow. For breakfast.”

 

“Ooooo, someone’s got a girlfriend.” Jeremy sang.

 

Nicole scowled. “Shut up, Jeremy. She’s not my girlfriend.” She picked at her thumb a little bit. Sucking her bottom lip in, she muttered, “We’re just… making waffle houses together.”

 

“Okay,” Jeremy laughed. “What kind of sexual innuendo is that?”

 

Nicole glared and lunged towards him. Jeremy stuck his hands up in surrender.

 

“I have an inverted nipple!” Jeremy yelped.

 

Nicole stilled immediately. “Gross, dude.”

 

Jeremy smiled, pleased to be safe, even if only until the next time he yelled out something inappropriate.

 

They sat down to fulfill their duties, one otter at a time. A few minutes passed in comfortable silence. Nicole sighed loudly as she administered medicine to the last otter.

 

“Is it something more than that?” Jeremy whispered.

 

Nicole nodded.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

 

Nicole bartered with herself long enough that the sun dipped down even more. She resigned and nodded again.

 

Jeremy resituated and got comfortable. “So what’s up?”

 

“It’s just.” Nicole paused. She fixated on the ground, her fingers mindlessly picking at the aglet on her shoelace. She shrugged. “I’ve never wanted to be tied down; but there’s something about her that sits in my stomach, begging me to see her again.”

 

“So you’re nervous that if you get breakfast with this girl, it’ll lead to breakfast tomorrow, and the next day, and then the next day and soon you’re waking up to her?”

 

Nicole’s heart fluttered at the visualization of waking up next to Waverly.

 

Jeremy continued. “I mean, you haven’t been able to shut up about your big boat trip up to Canada. I thought that meant that you _didn’t_ want to find a **wahine male hou** here.”

 

“Well that’s just the thing!” Nicole perked up. “That’s what I’ve always known. My life dreams and all of my plans have been exploring, studying the oceans, and-and…walruses. But I can’t get the thought of her out of my head! I didn’t go out and try to find someone…”

 

Nicole petted one of the otters who had crawled up into her lap. She felt her stress and worries seeping away with each stroke. She imagined what it would actually look like, if she stayed here and spent time with Waverly. If she made a life with her.

 

“I guess I’d still have walruses to protect if I stayed here. I know I definitely wouldn’t mind not leaving CJ behind.”

 

SQAUK! Dolls, out of seemingly nowhere, barked out.

 

“And Dolls.” She rolled her eyes. “Definitely wouldn’t mind being able to stay with that thick-headed little shit.”

 

Dolls waddled back away, pleased with himself and the new treats that Jeremy snuck him as Nicole contemplated her predicament.

 

“You know,” Jeremy chuckled. “I’ve actually only ever seen you committed to work. Do you have commitment issues or something?”

 

Nicole stiffened.

 

Jeremy’s eyes widened. “OMG you do!” He leaned in closer to Nicole. “Let me guess, you’re afraid of commitment because your girlfriend in high school was just ‘experimenting’ and then left you to date the football quarterback.”

 

Nicole dug her fingernails into her palm. “Close, except my girlfriend only claimed she was ‘experimenting’ because her parents caught us and confronted her. And then they told my dad and he abandoned me, so that leaves me seeking a life absent of commitment.”

 

“I hope you shot the bastard,” Jeremy growled.

 

Nicole whipped her head to face him. “What? Jer, are you okay?”

 

Jeremy’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry. I have similar daddy issues.”

 

Nicole shuddered, gagging at Jeremy’s use of the word ‘daddy’.

 

“I must also admit,” Jeremy sheepishly continued, “I get very irritable when I’m lacking any kind of physical intimacy. I’m sorry for wanting to shoot your dad”

 

Nicole stood up and brushed her hands off on her thighs. “You’re a weird dude.” She offered her hand to help Jeremy up, much to his surprise. “Welcome to the club. Commitment issues and hopelessly lovesick. I hope you’ll stay.”

 

 _And maybe I’ll stay too…_ Nicole hummed as her imagination drifted to staying on the island with Waverly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter NICOLE AND WAVERLY HAVE BREAKFAST YAYYYY
> 
> ...but things aren't what they seem.


	4. Pilikia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly's breakfast date doesn’t go as planned…
> 
> Please don’t hate me! Love you all :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Pilikia--> Troubles  
> Hopohopo--> Anxiety

Nicole took a shaky breath. She raked her hand through her hair, stopping when it got caught in the elastic. She growled realizing that she screwed up her hair and stomped towards the more reflective part of the window.

 

This morning during the early feed, CJ bore witness to a frantic Nicole Haught. The walrus watched patiently while her human paced back and forth muttering to herself and tapping out an eclectic rhythm on her thigh. “CJ!” Her flippers stood alert when Nicole swiveled and stopped in front of her. The human took a deep, unsteady breath and on the exhale asked, “Hair up or down?”

 

She settled for a half up, half down look.

 

Now, touching up her red locks in the window of Shorty’s Café, Nicole sensed her **hopohopo** building up. She felt 13 again when she eagerly waited at the shaved ice stand for her date, Shae, to show up. She kissed Shae that night, shivering from the other girl’s frozen lips and tasting blue raspberry and guava flavors on her tongue.

 

Nicole swallowed hard and opened the door to the café. The aromas of breakfast food and the coolness of the fans hit her, calming her nerves. She sent a shy smile to Gus and waved. Her forehead crinkled when Gus didn’t return the sentiment. Instead, she took a step back as the older woman stampeded towards her.

 

“Aloha.”

 

“Hi, nice to see you again,” Nicole politely nodded back.

 

“Not ‘Aloha’ hello. ‘Aloha’ goodbye. You can’t be here. We’re closed today,” Gus said with stern and steely eyes.

 

Nicole’s wide eyes gazed across the café, pointedly looking at all of the customers. “It doesn’t look like it.”

 

A bell dinged, indicating a complete order and interrupting their conversation.

 

“I have to get that,” Gus poked her finger into Nicole’s chest. “But you and I need to talk.”

 

Nicole brought her hands up in surrender and watched Gus walk away towards the kitchen. She looked further and saw Nedley. She threw him a shaka.

 

“Hey tattoo face!”

 

“Heyyyy peanut butter cup!”

 

The entirety of her attention dissipated, though, as her sole focus zeroed in on the smell of pineapple and coconut shampoo. Her gaze drifted to the right as the human embodiment of sunshine walked through the door and brushed past her. _Waverly_. Nicole’s heart eyes glimmered and she sighed deeply. In some kind of a trance, she slowly strolled after her. She found Waverly’s long, wavy hair mesmerizing, but it paled in comparison to when Waverly sat down and Nicole got to see her bright and joyful eyes.

 

Gathering up all of her confidence, Nicole slid over and leaned her weight onto the corner of the booth. She shifted to find the balance between slouching and standing tall in an effort to appear natural and cool. She sent Waverly her signature crooked smile and a pop of her dimple.

 

Nicole gulped. “Hey.”

 

Waverly looked up through her eyelashes. “Hi,” she whispered politely before looking back down at her lap.

 

Nicole took this as her sign to sit down and lead the conversation. Clearly, Waverly seemed as nervous as her. Nicole chuckled at the absurdity of the situation. They got along great and had no reason to be nervous.

 

She raised her hands towards Waverly. “Wanna take a whiff?” She smirked. “They’re extra fishy today.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Nicole startled at Waverly’s look of confusion, but she soldiered on and turned her flirting on to maximum capacity. She knew the other girl loved hearing stories about Calamity Jane so her extra fishy fingers being due to the walrus was the perfect plan. “I was petting my walrus all morning and thinking of you the whole time.”

 

Waverly grimaced. “Ok pervert.” She jumped out of the booth and quickly stalked away.

 

Nicole gasped as if the accusation slapped her. She only waited a breath before she got up and followed her. “Wait, wait, wait! I only said that because of what we talked about yesterday.”

 

Waverly whipped around. “What?!”

 

She reached forward to try to comfort her. “I didn’t mean to freak you out of anything. It’s just that yesterday you said--“

 

“Yesterday?!” Anger sparkled in Waverly’s storm raged eyes. “I’ve never even met you. I’ve never seen you in my entire life.” She spat.

 

Even though Nicole’s confusion toppled over every other emotion, she couldn't help but think about what a cute, yet terrifying, little spitfire Waverly was when she's mad. “What? No, wait, Waverly listen to me.”

 

“Nedley! I need help.” Waverly cried out while backing away from Nicole.

 

“Coming Waverly.”

 

The older man drew Nicole’s attention toward him, but her eyes quickly averted to the machete in his hand. His strange, yet excited, gleam quickened Nicole’s heart rate.

 

Nicole’s eyes bounced from the incoming threat of Tattoo Face, the machete, and Waverly’s sweet but scared eyes. Way too many **pilikia** for Nicole’s taste, especially when all those troubles were completely averse to what her idyllic breakfast date was supposed to be looking like right about now. Her thoughts sprang and rebounded as she tried to wrap her head around the situation.

 

“Nedley,” Gus’ gruff voice cut through the tension. “Put the knife down. You,” she pointed at Nicole. “Come with me.” Gus grabbed her by the elbow and left no room for argument.

 

As Gus dragged her out of the café, Waverly scowled with nearly feral energy radiating off of her. Nicole scampered away like the sad dog she found when she was 8 and her father came at it yelling- scared and confused.

 

Safely outside and out of earshot, Nicole shouted. “What the hell was that? Is she crazy? Is something wrong?”

 

Gus shook her head with her eyes downcast. “No, she isn’t. Waverly is a special girl.”

 

Nicole’s dimple peaked out a little thinking about just how special Waverly was to her. Gus took a steadying breath.

 

“Waverly was in an accident a little over a year ago. She and her sister, Wynonna, went up to Peacemaker Plantation to get a pineapple for Wynonna’s birthday like they did every year. As the girls were driving back, they got to chatting and laughing about something. When Wynonna turned back to look at the road, there was a horse blocking their path. She took a hard swerve to avoid the horse, but ended up spinning and losing control of the car on the loose dirt of the road. They crashed into a Eucalyptus tree. Wynonna broke some ribs, but Waverly…Waverly hit her head—hard. She lost her short term memory. She can’t retain any new information. It’s like—it’s like her slate gets wiped clean every night.”

 

Nicole shifted her weight and crossed her arms, her jaw already hanging down. “Okay this sounds like something I would tell a gross guy, who couldn’t seem to understand that I like women, so he would stop following me. Am I the gross guy here?”

 

“No, darlin’. It’s incredibly unfortunate; but, it’s all true. She doesn’t remember ever meeting you.”

 

Nicole shook her head in disbelief, a knot twisting in her stomach. “But- but she’s so normal. She goes about her day just fine. How does she function not remembering anything? How does she know about you and Nedley and Wynonna and—“

 

“No, no, no,” Gus consoled. “Waverly has all of her long term memory. Luckily, there were no lacerations affecting that pathway in her brain. She just can’t make any _new_ memories.”

 

Nicole didn’t want to believe it. She felt herself spiraling, losing her only possible anchor to the island and her sail for her thoughts. She kept shaking her head and blinking hard to get rid of the heavy burn behind her eyes.

 

 _Her Waverly. But no. She isn’t even her Waverly. She_ never will _be her Waverly._

 

Tears threatened to spill out, but an incongruent observation roared and Nicole’s eyes popped open full of hope. “Wait, but that doesn’t make sense! She reads the newspaper in the mornings. She’d know that time has passed.”

 

Gus clicked her tongue, looking at Nicole with a type of pity that put weight on the red head’s shoulders. “That’s because the paper that Waverly reads is Sunday’s paper from September 12th, 2016. The day of Wynonna’s 27thbirthday and the day of the accident. Wynonna prints out the same copy for her every morning. She has hundreds of them. Waverly comes to Shorty’s Café every morning for breakfast, because that’s what she’s always done on Sunday mornings. She wakes up each morning thinking it’s Wynonna’s birthday. She has no idea it’s nearly two years later.”

 

Nicole stopped breathing.

 

“Waverly does the exact same thing. Every day.”

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will follow Waverly home so you can get a glimpse at what her routine is, day in and day out. That means Protective and Drunk Wynonna and Doc are introduced! Yay!


	5. Hau`oli la hanau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly lives the same day over and over again. Wynonna and Doc go along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hau`oli la hanau--> Happy birthday  
> Punani--> vagina (‘pun’ means blossom and ‘nani’ means heavenly)

Each tire thumped up and down with the rocky road. With each bump, the jeep jostled its driver. It drove along the coast, through the trees, and over a few potholes on its journey to the homestead. The jeep itself stood out, with its stark red color amongst a sea of green tree tops, tan sand and dirt, and blue oceans and skies.

 

Waverly pulled up to the beaten down house. Despite the weird incident from earlier, she wore a bright smile and sauntered into the house, smelling whiskey in order to sniff out and find her sister. She skipped to the kitchen.

 

Beaming, Waverly shouted, “ **Hau`oli la hanau** Wynonna!”

 

Wynonna turned around to greet her with a smile.

 

Waverly’s eyes immediately shot down to the pineapple Wynonna was holding. She pouted, bottom lip jutting out and doe-eyes sparkling.

 

By the time Waverly whimpered twice, Wynonna finally looked down and realized why she was upset. “Oh, sorry baby girl. Some dude with a nice ass at the farmer’s market gave it to me. Who am I to pass up something free?”

 

Waverly tilted her head. “Hmm, well let me think. You declined a free education. You never accept any of my perfectly free hugs.” Waverly lifted a finger to tick off each incident. “Doc always offers to pay for a nice honeymoon—“

 

Wynonna cupped her hand of Waverly’s mouth. She pulled it away quickly though when she felt a tongue on her palm. “Ew, gross dude.”

 

Waverly shrugged and smiled. “He is your boyfriend.”

 

“Exactly. Not my husband. No need for a honeymoon if we never did the deed. No ball and chain here. Just, perfectly normal and acceptable, immortal chains that will keep us together forever with no governmental interference whatsoever.”

 

“Ugh, whatever. Back to what’s important.” Waverly eyed the pineapple.

 

“Oh yeah! I guess I just didn’t want to make farmer market dude feel bad, you know?”

 

Waverly conceded, with a low and drawn out voice. “Finnnne.” She perked up. “But next year, _promise_ we pick it together?”

 

Wynonna smiled sweetly and squeezed Waverly’s hand. “I promise, baby girl. I swear on Uncle Curtis’ life.” She sealed the promise with a kiss to Waverly’s head. She didn’t lie, just her little sister didn’t remember that their uncle had died last year.

 

Wynonna pulled back with a plastered on smile. “To make up for it, I have a proposition.”

 

Waverly squealed. “What kind of proposition are we talking about?”

 

Wynonna pulled Waverly to walk in the direction of the garage. “Well, last night I painted the garage white.” Her muscles bulged as she opened the garage door. “Too white. It gives me a headache.” At Waverly’s skeptical gaze, Wynonna added. “And no, the headache is not a result of the whiskey. Anyway, I was thinking, can you maybe paint something nice? For my birthday?”

 

Waverly’s jaw dropped in an excited smile, her eyes vast with wonder as she took in her large canvas. “Yes, yes, yes, times a million!” She launched herself into Wynonna and grasped on in a vise grip hug. “Thank you! I’ll make sure to make you something extra special. Oooo, and that means you can go inside and watch the Blue Devils game while I’m working!”

 

With a kiss to the cheek, Waverly grabbed a brush and inspected the walls. Her back turned, Wynonna let the smile drop into more of a wistful, sad smile.

 

“Have fun, Waves.” Wynonna whispered.

 

~~~~

 

Wynonna walked into the kitchen and her nose hit a cacophony of smells. The distinct smell of dinner led her to Doc sitting on the counter next to the stove.

 

Doc actively ignored the boiling water bubbling over the edge of the pot and instead focused on meticulously rolling his cigarillos and cleaning out his gun. His mustache twitched in delight when Wynonna knocked his feet off of where they were perched on the counter.

 

“After you, ma’am,” Doc drawled with a tip of his hat.

 

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “You know Waves doesn’t like your dirty ass boots on her counter.” She slapped his hand hanging over his project. “And don’t get nicotine in the pasta, ya dumbass!”

 

“Well if I do recall, you love the dumbass in question.” Doc smirked.

 

“I guess I do.” Wynonna smooshed his face and leaned in for a searing kiss. She pulled away with a loving slap to the cheek. “But I love my spaghetti sans gunpowder more.”

 

Doc whistled lowly and laughed as Wynonna swiveled her hips and sauntered toward the living room.

 

Wynonna dragged over a crate to an obscure and rarely used corner of the room, behind the ratty old couch. Each day, Waverly would scold her for not getting a new couch, and each day, Wynonna would argue that this one fits the ‘aesthetic’ of the homestead. Plus, it’s not like Wynonna could get a new couch now, with all memories considering.

 

She stepped up and reached on her tiptoes behind some old whiskey bottles that Waves would never touch. She pulled out the box holding the tape of the Blue Devils game from the night of her 27th birthday. Instead of excitement for the game, the only thing that the tape brought up for Wynonna was the recognizable rise of bile in her throat. She mentally ticked off the number of times she and Doc viewed this disappointing tape.

 

~~~~

 

Waverly, who appeared dotted adorably with paint stripes on her clothes and the tip of her button nose, skipped into the living room calling out, “How’s the game going?”

 

Wynonna scampered and turned the TV on while Doc swept their card game to the floor. They stared intently at the television screen in a poor attempt to feign interest in a football game they’ve seen 50 million times before.

 

“Blue devils are up by 6,” Wynonna said with as much excitement she could muster.

 

Waverly plopped herself on the couch with her head leaning on her sister’s lap. She smiled and her head tingled from Wynonna’s fingers running through her hair. She turned slightly to address her sister. “They’ll definitely win for your birthday! I bet Champ will run it in.”

 

“Yes, maybe.” Doc said as the sisters both brought their attention back to the game.

 

Wynonna grunted. “I bet that Champ will fake a handoff to Pete, then throw to Kyle in the end zone.” She lifted her eyebrow down at her sister. “Loser does the dishes?”

 

Waverly sat up quickly at the prospect, thrust out her hand and proclaimed it a deal. “You’re on!” Doc’s eyes sent daggers over her shoulder to Wynonna.

 

The announcer broke into the conversation. “---keep offense on the field. Champ fakes a handoff to Pete. He will throw. He’s got Kyle in the end zone! Touchdown, Blue Devils.”

 

Waverly gasped in shock. Wynonna threw her hands up, challenging Doc to fight her for cheating and using Waverly’s memory against her.

 

“Damn, Wynonna. You’re good.” She stood up, but before she left, she leant down and kissed Wynonna’s forehead. “Maybe you should be a coach.”

 

Wynonna snickered as Waverly left the room to do the dishes and-

 

Doc’s shoe zipped across the room, hitting Wynonna in the face.

 

“What the hell, Doc?”

 

“Your actions are sophomoric; of which I do not appreciate.”

 

Wynonna won the argument with the epitome of sophistication-

 

She stuck her tongue out at him while making a fart noise.

 

~~~~

 

“Hau‘oli la hanau ia oe

Hau‘oli la hanau ia oe

Hau‘oli la hanau ia  Wynonna

Hau‘oli la hanau ia oe”

 

No matter how many days in a row circumstances forced Wynonna to hear that song, nothing was as special as seeing her baby girl sing with so much joy and spirit. Oh. And of course the cake. The best part of every day was the cake….Oh. And the whiskey. Of course.

 

Waverly giggled freely after the song. “Yay! I hope you enjoy your cake. Don’t worry, you don’t look a day over 21.”

 

Wynonna snorted. “Yeah, and Doc’s mustache makes him look sexy.”

 

Doc’s guttural choke echoed throughout the room. “Now, now, now. I beg your pardon.” He stroked and caressed his mustache with more care than he’d ever shown Wynonna’s **punani**. “This fine facial hair you see here is the result of precise grooming that has taken place over the past decade.”

 

Wynonna stood to join him and petted his mustache. She pouted and whined, “I know. I was just kidding. I’m so sorry Doc Jr. I didn’t mean to doubt your sexiness.”

 

 “Well that is what I like to hear, ma’am.” Doc smirked.

 

The two embraced and their lips melded together.

 

At the first utterance of a moan, Waverly yelled out, “Presents! Wynonna time for presents!”

 

Wynonna immediately pushed Doc away, sat down and turned to Waverly with an excited gleam in her eye. She greedily outstretched her hands like a child and accepted the box from Waverly, throwing a couple of “gimmie, gimmie”’s.

 

Waverly bit her lip in anticipation and stood on her tip toes to peek over and see the moment the gift wrapping ripped away.

 

“Oh wow,” Wynonna said. “Die Hard. Great.”

 

Ever the energizer bunny, Waverly jumped repeatedly while clapping her hands. Her eyes bulged, her lips tilted up even higher and she asked, “Do you guys want to watch it right now?”

 

Doc and Wynonna’s pained grimaces were a sorry excuse for smiles. “Sure,” they said in unison.

 

~~~~

 

As usual, the movie went on. Waverly’s grip tightened on Wynonna’s thigh, Doc’s eyes drifted shut, and Wynonna focused heavily on the prospect that, if she tried hard enough, she could feel Earth spinning.

 

Once it was over, Waverly held Wynonna’s hand and pulled her toward the stairs, giggling and singing, “Yippee ki yay motherfucker! I knew this movie was your cup of tea. Did you like it?”

 

Wynonna pulled her in for a hug. “Yeah, babygirl. I did. Thank you for a great birthday.”

 

Doc interrupted the hug saying, “Perhaps we should let Miss Waverly go to bed now.”

 

“I actually am exhausted.” Waverly finished it off with a yawn, almost as if to prove her point.

 

“You’re exhausted from having to deal with me all day. I get it.” Wynonna chuckled. “Love you Waves.”

 

“Sweet dreams, little lady.” Doc tipped his hat towards Waverly.

 

After kisses to both of their cheeks, Waverly dragged herself upstairs to bed. Doc and Wynonna waited at the bottom of the staircase in silence. They waited 50 internally said ‘Yippee Ki Yay Motherfuckers’ before they rushed off to commence their daily routine.

 

They ended each day by resetting it. Waverly would never know that time has passed. The gang would spend another 27th birthday together and repeat the same day over again.

 

Doc threw the rest of the cake away, taking another store bought one out of the freezer and into the fridge as a replacement.

 

Wynonna carefully wrapped the DVD, making sure to keep all of the pre-existing creases.

 

Doc ran out to their locked storage freezer behind the house and pulled out a pineapple from their stock. The daily pineapples ensured that Waverly would never go on that fateful drive with Wynonna to pick up a new one.

 

Wynonna went into the shed where her motorcycle lay dormant. Under the floorboards, she lifted another Sunday paper from the day of the accident and laid it out front on the doormat.

 

Doc rushed into the bathroom and refilled Waverly’s pineapple and coconut shampoo. He exited the bathroom, only to turn around again and flaunt in front of the mirror. Mainly, he loved the excuse to stare at his mustache, giving it the appreciation it deserved.

 

The tired couple met in the garage where they came face to face with Waverly’s painting of the day. Neither of them talked. They basked in silence and took in their love’s creativity. Doc adored the jasmine flowers painted to a scale larger than himself. Wynonna mainly appreciated the bright, vibrant colors Waverly used. That usually meant her little sister was happy that day. They settled into the melancholy atmosphere.

 

Wynonna brought out her phone and took pictures of every painted square inch. She transferred the photos to her locked album titled ‘The Beauty in Tragedy’. Wynonna stared at the album. She knew that if Waverly were here and understood the situation, she would poke fun at the fact that stoic, unfeeling Wynonna was actually quite poetic.

 

Wynonna deeply sighed and locked eyes with Doc. The two hefted their rollers, dipped them into the stark white paint, and regretfully painted over Waverly’s creation. When it was all said and done, they hid all remaining evidence and crawled up to bed- happy to at least have each other.

 

The white paint dried in the garage. Any shred of evidence of the day died. The blank canvas sat in darkness, a menacing reminder of the Earp Curse. Condemned to live the same day. Day and day again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not if Nicole could help it….

 

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry friends, but I'm leaving the country for a couple weeks! That means no new chapter until I come home. But that's okay because you should just build on your excitement because next chapter has Nicole making a bet with Nedley ;) And yes, Wayhaught will be featured next chapter. And yes, wild mama Mercedes will be there too. 
> 
> tl;dr new chapter is in 3 weeks but it will be worth the wait


	6. Hana Hou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole will do anything to get that second breakfast date with Waverly. Even if she has to try again and again and again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hana Hou--> encore, do it again, repeat, once more  
> ‘Ōkole--> ass  
> Mahalo--> thank you

“Are you shitting me? She doesn’t remember anything?” Mercedes interrogated Nicole.

 

The two friends bantered while they worked on Nicole’s boat. It turned out to be more of Nicole breaking her back and pulling all the heavy duty tasks while Mercedes filed her nails and grilled Nicole on how the date went. Even though Mercedes never actually lifted a finger to help, Nicole appreciated her company so she kept inviting her. It was also nice to catch up while working on the boat since there weren’t five little distractions running around.

 

Nicole finished pulling the rope before she wiped sweat off her forehead and huffed out, “I’m serious. Apparently Waverly’s doctors said that her memory may never come back.” A loud clap and shout pulled her attention towards Mercedes.

 

Mercedes clapped once more, exclaiming, “That means Waverly is the perfect girl for you! You get to have the girlfriend and then when you leave for your big boat trip to the saber-toothed seals, no harm no foul ‘cause the girl will never remember you!”

 

“Interesting. Good idea…but there’s just one problem.”

 

“Oh yeah? What?” Mercedes challenged.

 

“It’s pure evil, you dipshit!” Nicole threw a towel in her face.

 

Mercedes swatted it away and defended herself. “Oh, c’mon. You get what you want, Waverly enjoys herself, and no one gets hurt in the end!”

 

“She’s got brain damage, you psycho!” Nicole hit Mercedes in the arm – hard. No chance in hell could convince Nicole to stray from her morals.

 

Mercedes rubbed her arm to gain pity. “Listen. Your aura is off. You need to get laid on a regular basis in order to be fun again.”

 

Nicole feigned agreement and mocked her, “thanks Ginger Oprah, but I don’t need your advice.”

 

“No, Nicole, I’m being serious. You’d just be doing for Waverly what her sister and sister’s boyfriend do for her already. You’d be giving her a perfect day. Isn’t _that_ what matters? Then, when we finally get this damn boat finished, you can just go-” Mercedes snapped and gave a high pitched- “poof.”

 

Nicole tilted her head in an adorable way. “Oh, okay, I’m just not sure about the whole ‘poof’ part. I’m not a good ‘poofer’. Can you demonstrate a good ‘poof’ for me?”

 

Mercedes hit Nicole back. “Quit busting my coconuts for five seconds.”

 

“Well then why don’t you quit being a pain in my ‘ **Ōkole**. Why don’t you quit meddling in my love life and get back to work, huh?”

 

Mercedes shrugged. “Fine, then. Maybe this relationship is too complicated.”

 

“Oh please. My whole life is complicated. Being best friends with _you_ is complicated. Did you know you have three e’s in your name but they’re all pronounced differently?”

 

Mercedes smirked and waggled her eyebrows. “You’ve been haunted by that for a while now, haven’t you Haughtcakes?”

 

At Nicole’s scoff in response, Mercedes got up and walked around the mast, perfecting the last of the fix-up.

 

Nicole watched Mercedes perform the finishing touches and let her mind stray away from Waverly and instead filled herself with hope of completing her dream to travel to Canada.

 

_Captain’s log. It’s currently midnight. Mercedes and I are almost done. My boat is nearly perfect and ready to go back out on the water. When I set sail, I will finally be able to—_

Mercedes fell through the floor of the boat and ruined all of their progress by breaking everything, including Nicole’s sanity.

 

Trapped in the wooden hull, Mercedes contemplated. “At least it wasn’t my face.” She looked down. “Are you harboring one of my children down here? I feel something licking me.”

 

Nicole’s soulless face radiated ‘what the fuck’ energy.

 

~~~~

 

Last night’s depressing blow to all the work she had done on the boat didn’t damper Nicole’s mood when it came to Waverly. She’d never been one to back down. Sure, Mercedes words, the ghost of her father’s words, and her own doubts mixed together to try and kick her back towards the walrus project; however, the prospect of a life – or even just a meal – with Waverly provided enough of a shield to protect Nicole as she walked into Shorty’s Café in the morning.

 

Nicole peered through the window and prepared herself. Surprisingly, her stomach fluttered less than usual. The butterflies and heat obviously gathered in her abdomen, but the nervous electric energy wasn’t coursing through her veins. She seemed less anxious since she knew that if she fucked it up, she’d start from a clean slate the next day thanks to Waverly’s condition!

 

Nicole shook her head trying to dispel those kinds of thoughts. Waverly deserved to be treated as the spectacular woman that she was-- minute by minute. No fudging. No shirking. Straight up, normal affection. With a deep breath, she walked in to her destiny. (She rolled her eyes recognizing how dramatic she was and chastised herself.)

 

Remembering what happened last time she ventured into the café, Nicole stuck to the edges trying to sneak in nonchalantly. She felt Waverly’s presence and knew which booth she was at, but refused to settle her eyes on her. She trailed over to the pastry box feigning interest in anything other than the tiny brunette.

 

She chanced a glance and followed her heart to find Waverly building a Chichen Itza waffle house. Her heart grew three sizes. Her dimples popped out involuntarily.

 

“Hey. Peanut butter cup,” Nedley’s gruff voice brought Nicole out of her love induced haze.

 

Nicole’s hand gave a half hearted attempt at a wave turned salute turned shaka. “Tattoo face!” She laughed nervously.

 

“What’re you doin’ here?”

 

Nicole shrugged and tried to play it casual. “Oh, you know. Just wanted to stop by and say hi to Waverly.”

 

Nedley scoffed and shuffled away. He didn’t get too far before Nicole grabbed him. Even though Nedley was far more massive and could’ve gotten out of her grip, it was Nicole’s pleading and heart eyes that glued him to the spot and begged him to listen.

 

“I _just_ want to say hello. Please.”

 

Nedley brought up his giant machete knife, to which Nicole rolled her eyes.

 

_Why does a man need a freaking samurai sword to cut spam?_

The machete glinted in the bright Hawaiian sun filtering through the windows. His eyes widened and a smile spread from beneath his mustache. “And what did Gus say about anything revolving Waverly?”

 

Nicole cocked her head to the side. He kinda looked like Maui from Moana. Huh. She sheepishly spoke up. “That if I ever showed my ginger locks in Shorty’s Café again, you would be allowed to kill me with a meat cleaver…”

 

He pointed the knife at Nicole. “Exactly. Plus, it’s probably for the best since Waverly wouldn’t want to talk to you anyway.”

 

Nicole, ever the confident one in her flirting capabilities, felt the slight directed towards her. “What?” She questioned, baffled.

 

“This isn’t a rodeo. Waverly doesn’t want every gentlewoman hitting on her during her breakfast.”

 

Nicole toed up to him. “She does if it’s Nicole Haught.”

 

“Haught? Who’s that?”

 

“Who dat? Me dat!”

 

“Ok settle down girl.”

 

Before Nedley turned to resume his kitchen duties, Nicole thrust out her hand. Daring him with a raised eyebrow, she offered a bet.

 

“I guarantee I can get her to have breakfast with me again. If she rejects me, _which she won’t_ , then I’ll give you $20. If I win, free spam and eggs and alone time with my girl.”

 

With that, they shook hands and turned to their respective duties – Nedley to his eggs and Nicole to her heart.

 

~~~~

 

Nicole sat at the booth across from Waverly as she had the first day. For a moment she contemplated if she should just sit there and admire from afar. Maybe she shouldn’t get tangled up in arguably the most complicated lifestyle.

 

“Gus! I love your haircut,” Waverly’s smile crinkled her eyes, clearly conveying that her compliment was sincere.

 

“ **Mahalo** Waverly.”

 

_OhmygodWaverly’sthecutest. Iwanttobethereasonshesmiles._

 

Well so much for just sitting and watching. Nicole gravitated towards her and—

 

“What do you think you’re doing here?”

 

Nicole’s attention caught up to the fact that Gus was sternly staring her down with half the mind to pour the piping hot coffee on her. She feigned surrender and submission.

 

“I know, I know. But it’s fine. Nedley and I have an agreement.” Nicole calmly dissuaded the situation.

 

Gus scowled over at Nedley and abruptly rushed away to the kitchen. Nicole figured that was as much of an ‘okay’ as she was going to get.

 

Now. Waverly. Nicole reached back over to her table to grab a toothpick, just like last time. Every waffle house deserved a waffle door held up by Nicole’s toothpick. She considered Nedley’s $20 as good as gotten. She quirked her eyebrow looking up at Nedley.

 

Toothpick in hand, Nicole confidently strut over to Waverly, repeating her actions from the breakfast before. She pushed the toothpick in and demonstrated the opening maneuver while flashing a crooked smile.

 

Waverly sweetly looked up at Nicole with questioning round eyes and a devious smile. “Oh, do you come from a country where it’s okay to touch other people’s food?”

 

Nicole visibly deflated. Stunned, she helplessly responded, “No. I’m from this country.”

 

With no other option, Nicole wished Waverly a good meal and sulked away, not before she saw Nedley out of the corner of her eye laughing at Nicole’s embarrassment. He winked at her, mouthing ‘twenty dollars girl’.

 

Nedley proceeded to do what Nicole could only describe as a jolly old man boogie dance thing.

 

Nicole sulked walking out of the café. The woman from the other day, Stephanie Jones, watched Nicole leave and yelled out, “That was pathetic!”

 

Nicole sneered. “Yeah? Choke on your spam.” She looked past the woman to yell at Nedley, “Tomorrow. **Hana hou**. Double or nothing.”

 

Hell would have to freeze over before a Haught gave up. Especially when her heart was on the line. Especially _especially_ when Waverly Earp was the key to her heart-

 

\- looked like fate wanted her to lose all of her money before she could win over her love.

  

~~~~

 

ATTEMPT 2:

 

Nicole felt Gus and Nedley’s stares. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked up to Waverly’s booth. Nedley wore a shit-eating grin, clearly gloating with excitement and anticipation.  Nicole cringed inwardly when she met Gus’ eyes, seeing disappointment. If she looked hard enough though, she swore she could see curiosity in those eyes as well.

 

Looking at Waverly’s newest waffle creation, Nicole cleared her throat and proceeded with gusto, silently begging the gay gods to help her out.

 

“Hi. You look like someone who appreciates fine art,” Nicole referenced the waffles and brought out a napkin from her back pocket. The napkin displayed Nicole’s amateur drawings. All of them deeply paled in comparison to her expert desperation to flirt. “These are all of the sea creatures I’ve come to love since working at the local sea park. See, here, is my favorite. This little walrus is—“

 

Waverly interrupted her with a high pitch, mechanical laugh.

 

Nicole looked up in surprise, especially when Waverly spouted gibberish of some sort. She heard a mix of Spanish, French, Mandarin, and maybe some German or something. Uncomfortable, Nicole whined, “Ohhhh, you don’t speak English.”

 

Waverly smiled. “Ego sum totalitar stupet balls.”

 

Nicole clicked her tongue. “Ah. Stupetballs. Stupetballs…” She pivoted quickly and strutted out of the café.

 

Gus laughed at the pathetic attempt and Nedley started doing some kind of old, white man dance, counting off to the number 40. “Forty dolllllllars peanut butter cup!”

 

Nicole felt like the spectacle of entertainment for the café’s staff. And apparently the café’s regulars since Stephanie Jones piped up asking, “can I have that drawing? I need something to wipe my ass with.”

 

_Fuel to your fire Nicole. Fuel to your fire. You and Waverly can joke about it at your wedding. Right after you explain to her who you are in the morning…_

This turned out to be more difficult than the time when she had to coax Dolls out of the fish bin- that gluttonous monster.

 

~~~~ 

 

ATTEMPT 3:

  

Nicole dug deep for this one. Literally. Back at her house, she dug through all of the boxes left behind when her mom died. She looked in the mirror after putting on what she had found. Her mother’s old uniform fit her perfectly. She stood straighter with her chest puffed out, admiring the badge right above her breast.

 

_HAWAI’I POLICE DEPARTMENT_

This had to work. Nicole kissed the picture of her mom and ran out the door for her daily drive to Shorty’s café.

 

“Oh dear god,” Gus scoffed the second she saw Nicole’s ridiculous outfit.

 

Nedley nudged her in the side. “Hey now. That looks like a fine officer for this here sheriff.” He winked at Nicole before breaking into a fit of laughter.

 

Nicole ignored the two antagonists and strut directly up to Waverly’s booth.

 

“S’cuse me ma’am. I’m Officer Haught. Nicole Haught.” Nicole put on her most authoritative voice which ended up coming out as a southern drawl.

 

Waverly’s eyes widened and the ends of her mouth turned downwards. “Oh! Um, officer, hi. Is something wrong?”

 

“Yes. There is.”

 

Waverly gulped.

 

Nicole smirked in self-satisfaction. “You seem to have stolen my heart.”

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

Yep, that definitely didn’t work.

 

~~~~

 

ATTEMPT 4:

  

Gus greeted everyone with a kind smile, but immediately dropped into a scowl when she came across Nicole for the fourth day in row.

 

Nicole felt Gus’ distrust from where she sat at the counter. She twiddled her thumbs for a while, tapping her foot five times for every deep breath.

 

_Well here goes the shittiest plan in history. Way to go dumbass._

She started to whimper. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she forced herself to fake cry. She dipped her fingers in her water cup, dabbed them on her eyes, grabbed her menu, and then wailed loudly.

 

The whole café looked up. Except Waverly.

 

Nicole cried obnoxiously louder, disrupting the _entire_ café.

 

Waverly whispered to the woman in the booth next to her, “I wonder what’s wrong with her. Poor thing.”

 

The woman in the booth was none other than Stephanie Jones. She muttered back to Waverly, “I don’t know, but she looks like a ginger butch asshole to me.”

 

Waverly scoffed, knowing Stephanie’s disdain for LGBTQ+ people; or, well, actually just people in general. Ignoring the comment, she approached Nicole at the counter.

 

Nicole jumped nearly an inch off her stool when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. She whipped her head around to see Waverly’ hands raised in surrender flooding her with apologies.

 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Can I please ask what’s wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?”

 

Nicole brushed her off, sniffling. “No, no, it’s nothing.”

 

Waverly refused to leave.

 

With her lips turned down in a grumpy-cat-like frown, Nicole stuttered, “I- I can’t read…”

 

An eavesdropping Nedley laugh came out with a huff. “You have got to be kidding me.” He muttered to himself quietly, “the ladies on Pretty Little Liars are better at acting than that red head bimbo’s attempt. And that’s saying something.”

 

With Nicole’s preferred audience of one, she ‘attempted’ to read in front of Waverly. She put the menu up close to her face to imitate having trouble making out the words; however, she was also grateful for the extra cover the menu provided in case she broke and started laughing.

 

“I can read that for you,” Waverly’s kind, soft voice offered.

 

“No. Thank you. I can do this on my own. I appreciate the sentiment though.” Nicole squinted. “I’ll get an order of the pan…pan…panko—“

 

Waverly bit her lip. “Pan. ‘KUH’.”

 

“Pancoo…ca--…panclocks-“

 

“Pancakes,” Waverly rushed out.

 

“Pancakes?!? Pancakes! I’m so stupid!” Nicole threw her head down into the crook of her elbow in shame, wailing loudly. She pounded the counter with her fist, punctuating each ‘stupid’ she cried out.

 

Waverly, being the incredibly nurturing person that she was, leaned in to comfort Nicole, rubbing her back and consoling her. She drew senseless designs across Nicole’s back, leaving a trail of goosebumps with each stroke of her fingers.

 

She coddled Nicole. “Oh, don’t cry. Don’t cry.”

 

Nicole leaned into Waverly. Momentarily distracted from her outrageous attempt, she fully appreciated the newfound proximity she had with Waverly. She felt delicate fingers grazing her back. Her body warmed due to sun-kissed skin pressing into her. Long, sun-damaged, yet still perfectly silky, brunette hair tickled where the ends danced along her arms. Pineapple and coconut wafted around her nose. With each consoling whisper, the words drifted into her ear and the breath brushed against her face. Nicole lost herself to the perfection that was Waverly Earp. Only one thing could bring her out of her stupor. And that thing was-

 

“Would you like to join me?”

 

Nicole’s hope catalyzed her body to turn towards the soft voice.

 

At Nicole’s dimpled smile, Waverly continued. “Maybe you can sit with me, we’ll have breakfast, and then I can help teach you some of the words?”

 

Nicole immediately and wholeheartedly agreed. “That sounds really nice. I appreciate it.”

 

Waverly gave her signature smile, “Of course,” and wave, “come on over.”

 

With Waverly’s back turned as she walked to the booth, Nicole glanced at the kitchen and greeted the fantastic image of Nedley’s jaw nearly hitting the ground in shock. Through her crying attempt, Nicole snuck a smile to him and stuck her tongue out. Her plan worked and Nedley owed her money. She was victorious!

 

Now she cashed in on her reward. Another breakfast date with Waverly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

_GAY SQUEAL OF DELIGHT!_

~~~~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter showcases our second WayHaught breakfast date! (well in Waverly's mind, it's their first.)
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me after the break! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays. Consider this chapter my present to you <3


	7. Kapu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole have breakfast. Nicole wants things to continue. 
> 
> Enter Wynonna.
> 
> Expect chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Kapu--> sacred and forbidden  
> `Ehu--> Red

“So ‘i’ comes before the ‘e’, except after ‘c’?”

 

Nicole sat next to Waverly in a snug little booth that the two shared. She tried to stay focused on the ruse, but it proved difficult to concentrate when her thigh grazed Waverly’s thigh every time she changed positions. An electric spark thrummed through her entire body at the simple, sun-kissed touch. Any chance provided, Nicole feigned confusion at the words she was ‘learning’ as an excuse to scoot a little closer to Waverly.

 

“Yes! Yes, exactly.” Waverly enthusiastically encouraged Nicole.

 

“And the ‘c’ is the little half a squiggly one?” Nicole’s eyebrows dipped into a V.

 

Waverly nodded feverously with a triumphant giggle. “Yep, that’s the one!”

 

“Wow. How did you get so good at teaching this?” Nicole asked the lead-in question for an answer she already knew from their last breakfast.

 

“Well, I’m a teacher.” Waverly’s smile got impossibly bigger talking about her work. “I teach a kindergarten art class. I love helping people learn and grow to reach their full potential.”

 

After Nicole’s heart stopped melting, she smirked at Waverly, “Then I’m sure half of those tiny humans have crushes on the teacher. I know I do.”

 

Time stood still for a few labored breathes as red crept up Waverly’s cheeks. She bit her lip, looking down bashfully.

 

The pause lengthened a little awkwardly, so Nicole piped up with another tidbit of information that she had learned from last time. She apologized for the fishy smell of her hands.

 

“That doesn’t gross you out, does it?” Nicole asked.

 

Waverly sighed. “No, not at all.”

 

As the two continued to giggle, to look longingly at each other, and to let their hands stay just a touch too long on each other, Gus and Nedley watched on from the kitchen.

 

Gus smacked Nedley hard on the arm. “If Waverly gets hurt, I’mma chop you with a meat cleaver, ya hear?” She clicked her tongue, shook her head, and stomped away.

 

~~~~

 

Nicole and Waverly walked out of the café still laughing from a delightful breakfast. Nicole knew the reading gag was beyond dumb, but if it got her a date with her girl, then she saw it as a golden opportunity.

 

Waverly’s hand gripped the crook of Nicole’s elbow as they walked towards her jeep. She grasped tightly, clearly not wanting the date to end.

 

They slowed their steps until they finally reached Waverly’s parked car.

 

Waverly twisted toward Nicole, shining with a bright smile. “I had a wonderful time.”

 

Nicole smiled down at her. “Me too. Thanks for helping me out.”

 

They longingly stared at each other. Nicole’s thoughts ran a mile a minute. She looked deep into Waverly’s eyes, willing her to remember this moment – to remember her.

 

Nicole, feeling satisfied, happy and hopeful, opened Waverly’s car door for her. “I guess I’ll see you around Waverly.” She slammed the car door closed and walked backwards, watching Waverly as she sauntered away. However, the look she saw on the brunette’s face startled her, giving her pause.

 

Waverly looked sad, borderline pathetic. Her eyebrows crinkled and her face turned inward.

 

“Really?” Waverly honked her horn, aggressively calling Nicole’s attention back toward her. “That’s it? All that flirting and the phony ‘I can’t read’ stuff and you’re not going to ask me out? You’re really not even going to ask me for my phone number?”

 

Interrupting her rant, Nicole desperately called out, “I _can’t_ read!”

 

“Oh shut up,” Waverly responded with flippant annoyance and disbelief. “That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. I just figured that if a woman was that desperate to eat me--…er- I mean, um, eat _with_ me, then I’d indulge and see what she has to offer. She might be worth talking to. But then I get stiffed!”

 

Nicole jogged back over to the jeep trying to explain herself.

 

Waverly flipped her hair over her shoulder, put her sunglasses on, and turned to Nicole, “Mahalo - for the ego boost.”

 

Waverly reversed her car, refusing to make eye contact with Nicole.

 

As she backed away, Nicole chased after her yelling explanations. “Wait! I actually didn’t know the ‘i’ before ‘e’ trick; that one was new, I swear!”

 

Waverly continued driving away, causing Nicole to go into a full blown panic.

 

Nicole’s overwhelming desire to end the day with Waverly happy and with a win on her side fueled her to run back to her own car to follow the red jeep.

 

Gus and Nedley made their way outside by the time Nicole’s tires screeched out of the dirt lot they used for parking. Nedley fisted his belt loops until is knuckles turned white. Gus wrung her hands before reaching for her phone.

 

“Wynonna, it’s Gus. We have a problem…”

 

 

~~~~

 

Nicole lost track of the red jeep, but happened to be on a dirt road that led only one way. She drove along the coast for a while, marveling in the contrast of the lush green trees and the empty, open oceanic skyline. The road turned inland until the trees thinned and a clearing popped up. There, in the clearing and a few hundred feet away from the coast, rest Waverly’s house.

 

Taking her time to appreciate the moment and analyze what Waverly’s household meant to her development as a person, Nicole approached the front door.

 

She knocked.

 

A man named Doc answered.

 

Nicole’s blink lasted longer than it should. She tried to look into his sparkling blue eyes to speak, but couldn’t get past the thick caterpillar sitting on his top lip.

 

“Ummm,” Nicole gulped. “Aloha sir. My name is Nicole Haught and-“

 

“I am aware of who you are, Miss Haught.” Doc changed his stance to stare Nicole down.

 

Nicole took a micro step closer. “I just want to apologize, sir, it-“

 

Doc grabbed Nicole’s elbow and yanked her away. He marched her down to the beach, battling to talk over Nicole’s pleas and explanations. “Now, it would be best if you would desist and stop calling me ‘sir’.”

 

Reaching the sand, Doc spun Nicole around. The two were greeted by the stampeding bull that was Wynonna.

 

“Is this the girl?!” Wynonna thrust a threatening finger in Nicole’s direction. That same finger attached to the hand that cradled a half drunk bottle of whisky.

 

Doc slowly nodded his head toward his riotous girlfriend, then turned back toward Nicole. “I believe that you should stay away from Waverly.”

 

Nicole’s mouth dipped down at the ends. “I understand that sir, but I just think I might’ve hurt her feelings and I don’t want to leave it like that.”

 

Approaching Nicole, Wynonna sized herself up. “You wanna know how it’s gonna end up, ` **Ehu**? Huh? Waverly is **kapu**! That’s final.”

 

Dust flew from the ground and before anyone could really register what happened, Wynonna charged at Nicole.

 

But Nicole easily side swept and flipped Wynonna onto her back. She pinned her knees to Wynonna’s arms, securing her to the ground.

 

Wynonna muttered angrily, yet helplessly, “I’m gonna kill you, you manipulative bitc—"

 

Nicole slapped her hand down over Wynonna’s mouth and yelled over the incoming insult, “You calm now?”

 

Wynonna nodded her head, mumbling underneath the hand. “I’m cool. I’m cool.”

 

Nicole felt wetness brush against her palm. “Ew, god!” She recoiled away from Wynonna’s tongue and telling smirk.

 

After wiping her hand off on her pants, Nicole extended it to Wynonna, offering to help her up from the ground.

 

Wynonna roughly shoved the helping hand away. Instead, she swayed as she regained her poor balance and stood up.

 

Like a lightning bolt, Wynonna regained energy from the storm that was Nicole and turned to Doc for her next strike. Seething, she told Doc, “We’ve worked too long and _way_ too hard to protect my sister just for some idiot with the hots for her to come in and ruin it.”

 

Nicole possessed the bravery of a Marine because she stood between Wynonna and the object of her anger. “No! Listen. I know what you two do for her and I deeply respect that.”

 

“Now, if you are aware of young Waverly’s condition, then you should have the adequate information to know that if Waverly were to end up being courted by a woman, she would not remember said woman the very next day.” Doc insinuated.

 

Wynonna piped in, sneering. “Yeah! And any woman who’s okay with that, is not okay with me.”

 

“I’m not interested in that.” Nicole stated her case as a plea.

 

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “Every night with Waverly is a one night stand, dumbass.”

 

“You would do best to stay away from Shorty’s Café,” Doc repeated. “Give us a break. Waverly has already been through enough.”

 

Nicole’s shoulders dropped. Defeat loomed on the horizon, and the most important thing – keeping Waverly happy – rang through her mind at their words. She sulked and walked away from the hopelessly dysfunctional family.

 

When Nicole walked far enough away, Wynonna slurred, “I could’ve whooped her ass Doc, I swear. It’s just the sand, you know, I slipped and I-“

 

“Why of course, Wynonna. Perhaps it was the sand and not the bottle of whiskey coursing through your veins that caused you to fall.”

 

“Cheap shot, Doc.”

 

Wynonna’s remark barely left her mouth before she hit the ground again - face first.

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, do you really think that Nicole is giving up? ESPECIALLY when Waverly is involved? Not a chance. Hopefully Jeremy can talk some sense into her.
> 
>  
> 
> Special thanks to the love from EFA podcast and LuckyWantsToKnow <3


	8. Maka koa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the face of adversity, Nicole thinks outside of the box to see Waverly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Le`a--> happiness  
> Lanikai--> heavenly seas  
> Maka koa--> fierce  
> Hiwahiwa--> precious, beloved, darling  
> `Ehu--> Red  
> Punani--> vagina

Nicole’s thighs were burning. Her grunts were matching the pace in which her hand moved. The Hawaiian sun beat down on her back, making the whole situation even hotter.

 

“Almost there,” Nicole panted.

 

With a few more strokes, Nicole exhaled in victory.

 

Calamity finally closed her mouth, grazing her long whiskers across Nicole’s cheeks. Her teeth were now freshly brushed and ready to munch on some breakfast.

 

Nicole petted CJ’s big head. “There you go, girlie. So fresh and so clean.”

 

Jeremy leaned in closer over Nicole’s shoulder, inspecting the walrus’s tusks, causing Nicole to flinch back.

 

“Hey Jer.” Despite having had her hand inside a walrus for half the morning, her mind still dwelled on Waverly. “What are you opinions on girls and the way that they think.”

 

“I wouldn’t have a clue. I’d say I prefer sausage to taco, though.”

 

CJ gruffly called out in horror.

 

Nicole gagged. “I agree buddy, get outta here! Run for the hills!”

 

CJ waddled quickly back into the water.

 

Welcoming the distraction of Calamity’s outburst, Nicole got back to what she wanted to know in the first place. “Let me put it this way instead… If you made a promise to a girl’s dad to never see her again, would you consider that a binding promise?”

 

“Yep! But. There are alternatives. For example, if I promised a guy’s father that I wouldn’t see him, I would simply cover my eyes while the guy serviced my manhood.”

 

Um…

 

CJ covered her face with her fin, groaning.

 

Nicole’s face turned downward, contemplating it. “That’s actually a cool way to think about it. In a very gross, awful way too.”

 

Jeremy shrugged and continued on.

~~~~

 

If there was one thing Nicole was good at, it was meticulously memorizing everything needed to know about her crushes. She remembered things the second they came to fruition. What does Waverly do for work? Check. What is Waverly’s family like? Check. What’s Waverly’s favorite animal? Check.

 

What path did Waverly drive on to get home?

 

Check.

 

Nicole waited at her truck on the dirt road next to the luscious green covered hill. She had officially kicked all available rocks, and in her boredom, had started biting her nails. A couple bugs buzzed around her head. Her eyes squinted in the glare of the sun. She had lost track of how long she waited out there when she finally saw a red jeep kicking up dust.

 

As Waverly’s jeep approached, Nicole muttered to herself trying to reassure herself and her golden morals. “You’re not doing anything wrong. All Doc told you was to stay away from Shorty’s…and, you’re not _at_ Shorty’s. It’s not your fault that you just happen to run into her. There’s only so many people on this goddamn island. Like Jeremy said, there’s always alternatives. You are Nicole Haught. You are Nicole Haught.” She whispered her mantra twice more before waving Waverly down.

 

Waverly pulled over to find a beautiful, red-headed woman standing next to a truck with the hood open.

 

“Uh-oh. Car troubles?”

 

Nicole nodded shyly. “Yeah. Mind giving me a jump?”

 

Of course Waverly agreed. Of course she immediately brought out some cables from the back. That’s just the kind of person she was. Waverly was absolutely a **hiwahiwa** woman.

 

Nicole thanked Waverly as she attached the cables. “You’re really sweet. Not many people would’ve stopped like that.” Nicole winked before attaching the second cable.

 

Nicole screamed.

 

Her yelling echoed throughout the valley.

 

She vibrated, shaking and shrieking.

 

Waverly screamed in unison, seeing this random woman being electrocuted. She nearly started crying.

 

Nicole screamed and scream and…laughed? Her screams transformed into a laugh and she slyly looked up at Waverly, incredulously saying, “I can’t believe you fell for that.”

 

Waverly didn’t laugh though; instead, her face scrunched up and her eyes got glassy. “My grandfather died trying to jump start a car…”

 

Nicole silently cursed and kicked at herself. “Oh fuck,” she whispered. She shook her head and exhaled deeply. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know. I was just joking around.”

 

“I can’t believe you…” Waverly erupted in a fit of giggles and triumphantly jested, “fell for _that_!” She stuck her tongue out at Nicole, claiming humiliation victory.

 

In that moment, Nicole honestly felt like she actually had been electrocuted with the way her body tingled looking at that adorable little face and laughing from her incredible wit.

 

Nicole broke out into a fit of laughter too. “Oh my god, you are good. That was definitely a good one.”

 

They smiled and basked in each other’s light. Nicole recognized a kindred jokester in Waverly, someone who didn’t take life too seriously and was willing to lighten up each day. She decided to take the leap.

 

“I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.”

 

A hand thrust in front of her, ready to shake.

 

“Waverly,” she said through a laugh.

 

“Nice to meet you.”

 

~~~~

 

Rain drenched the entire island. The constant patter of raindrops landing on the roof of the truck was a melodic reminder that Nicole could be inside, warm and dry. But no. Nicole stood outside with her feet practically sinking into the mud. No amount of gloomy weather outweighed the brightness she felt while winning over Waverly. So she trudged through the mud to the isolated path that Waverly took home from Shorty’s.

 

Today, she brought along a construction safety hat, vest, and stop sign, all courtesy of Mercedes and whatever the hell she was always getting into.

 

The red jeep drove towards her and she ran up to meet it. Waverly rolled down her window.

 

“Morning ma’am,” Nicole tipped her construction helmet as if it were a Stetson. “I apologize for the delay. It’ll be a few minutes before you can continue driving.”

 

Waverly smiled politely. “It’s okay.”

 

“You coming from breakfast?”

 

“Yep!”

 

“How was it?”

 

“It was good. I had waffles.”

 

Nicole batted her eyelashes and looked up at Waverly through them. “I like making little waffle houses with my breakfast.”

 

Waverly’s face dropped and her eyes widened. She breathed out a weighted, “you do?”

 

“That’s my thing.” Nicole winked at Waverly.

 

Waverly continued to look up at her as if she had created the  **Lanikai**.

 

“My name’s Nicole.”

 

~~~~

 

For this extravaganza, Nicole brought her favorite penguin along. After all, Dolls was a lady’s man. Her confidence in the plan working especially soared when she dressed him up in a cute Hawaiian tank top to show off his ‘muscles’ aka his fins.

 

She brought him out of the truck and placed him carefully in the middle of the road. He looked like he wanted to waddle off, but Nicole kept a pack of fish with her as motivation for him to listen.

 

“There,” Nicole tapped his head and backed away. “Now stay. And look cute. And don’t move.”

 

The familiar engine noise of a certain red jeep revved up her own engine. Nicole’s features softened and she leaned back against her car to watch the exchange work out just as she had planned.

 

“Here she comes, buddy! Just smile and wave boy.”

 

Squawk. Dolls wiggled his body.

 

Waverly’s hair billowed in the wind due to her top speed driving antics. Wearing her signature sunglasses, she seemed completely content as her hand danced along with the wind outside the vehicle. She reached into the center console for some chapstick, but at the exact moment she brought it up to her seemingly perfectly saturated lips, one of the jeep’s tires hit into a pothole.

 

“Oh, fudgenuggets.” Waverly dove down to reach it, but her short arms weren’t providing the leeway she needed. Good thing she was bendy! She contorted her body to still hold onto the steering wheel while reaching for the chapstick, but didn’t have any extra appendages to keep her eyes on the road.

 

Nicole watched on and questioned the image in front of her. A jeep, driving outrageously above the speed limit, but with no beautiful girl in the driver’s seat. Wait. No beautiful girl.

 

“Where’s Waverly?” Nicole stood alert. “Who’s driving?!”

 

Nicole freaked the fuck out as the jeep kept barreling towards her favorite penguin.

 

“No no no no no!” Nicole covered her eyes and winced, unable to bear witness.

 

Dolls, being much smaller in stature than he acted and tried to be, ended up fitting perfectly under the jeep with no consequences. Just barely though.

 

Waverly’s head popped up and she drove off, completely unfazed and unaware of what her chapstick mishap almost cost Nicole.

 

Nicole brought her hands up to rest on her hips. She raised her eyebrows and blew out an unsteady breath.

 

“Okay. Well, that didn’t work.”

 

She looked down at Dolls who was glaring at her.

 

“Shit your pants?”

 

Squawk!

 

“So did I.”

 

What do you do when the penguin doesn’t work? Obviously, bring a larger side kick that won’t be so inconspicuous that it could be run over.

 

Nicole brought Jeremy along this time.

 

So…not much larger of a side kick…

 

Nicole laid on the ground, basking in the sun. She regretted not wearing sunscreen because no matter how long she lived in Hawaii, her skin hadn’t built up an intolerance to burning. But, she always felt like a lizard and loved soaking up the vitamin D. Especially when it got warm enough, she could imagine that she was laying next to Waverly at the beach somewhere, both clad in only bathing suits, touching skin, leaning into each other…

 

“A jeep is coming!”

 

Nicole opened her eyes to Jeremy hovering over her and she looked to where he pointed.

 

She urgently stared down Jeremy. “Okay, that’s her. Start beating me up. Make it look real.”

 

Clearly, the plan was ridiculous. Sweet, shy, nervous Jeremy couldn’t hurt a fly. But his loyalty to Nicole reigned over his physical capabilities, so he effectively pushed her down and started kicking her. Kicking being too intense of a word. Perhaps toe touches would be more accurate.

 

Despite the pathetic attempt on Jeremy’s part, Nicole went all out.

 

“Help!” She screamed.

 

Jeremy squeaked out, “Give me your wallet.”

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole saw Waverly rip her sunglasses off and pull over.

 

Jeremy continued, throwing insults and trying to torment Nicole, while Nicole continued to yell for help.

 

“You think you can come this island?!”

 

*toe tap*

 

“Eat our pineapple?!”

 

*toe tap*

 

“Trying to bang every **punani** you see?!”

 

*toe tap*

 

“Making my sister clean your hotel room?!”

 

*toe tap*

 

Nicole’s confusion took over and she stopped the ploy to interrogate Jeremy. She harshly whispered, “What the fuck does that have to do with this?! Relax, nerd.”

 

She turned back into the fetal position and found Waverly parked. “Oh! Hi! Please, help me!”

 

Waverly fucking charged out of her jeep with two long sticks, and hit a grand slam straight into Jeremy’s ass.

 

“Take THAT! And that! Take that, you shit eater!”

 

Nicole watches helplessly from the ground as the love of her life beat her coworker and essentially shat on his dignity.

 

“You got him! That’s enough!” Nicole whimpered.

 

Waverly turned towards Nicole’s cries and Nicole visibly flinched back.

 

_That is one **maka koa** little firecracker._

Nicole was in awe. And frightened.

 

“It’s never enough!” Then, Waverly’s features relaxed. “Are you okay?”

 

Melting into the softness of those words, Nicole smiled gently saying, “Yeah. Yes, I am. Thank you.”

 

Happy that the ordeal was over, Nicole hoped that Jeremy was okay.

 

Waverly had other plans. She smiled sweetly. “Good. I’ll be right back.” She quickly pivoted and went charging after Jeremy as he ran away, probably wetting himself as he went. She roared out like a banshee, “Hey come back here!!!!”

 

Before she went running off, she spun her sticks like some kind of martial arts master. Nicole swore she wet herself too, but for a completely different reason.

 

Waverly speedily caught up to Jeremy and continued whacking him.

 

Nicole cried out, party to Jeremy, partly to Waverly, and partly to the fucked up universe. “I’m sorry!” She tried again. “He’s learned his lesson!”

 

Waverly retorted, “Not good enough!”

 

The fierce and tiny fighter wound up and delivered an excruciating blow directly to Jeremy’s crotch.

 

Nicole’s jaw dropped when Waverly skipped over to her with a bright smile and crescent moon eyes, when just seconds before the spitfire of a woman absolutely destroyed someone.

 

“Hi, I’m Waverly.” She extended her hand to Nicole and pulled her up. “What’s your name?”

 

“Nicole. You did good.” She shook Waverly’s hand limply.

 

“Sorry about that. I’m in a community watch program and-“

 

Jeremy interrupted while running, piping in from about a mile away. “You’re crazy!”

 

Waverly went from pixie angel to deadly demon in a single breath. She sneered and bellowed over her shoulder in an octave too low for such a tiny body, “KEEP RUNNING!” In a millisecond, she turned back around to Nicole, shimmied her shoulders, smiling and giggling.

 

Nicole’s mind refused to work. The only words that her mouth could produce rested on the tip of her tongue.

 

“I’m…a gay.”

 

~~~~

 

After watching countless YouTube videos, and a couple of unfortunate google results, Nicole managed to learn how to tie herself up and set up a kidnapping. Truthfully, Nicole was having a grand ol’ time with the extremely ridiculous plans she was coming up with. Winning over Waverly was only half the fun.

 

She sat in the bed of her truck, tied up and looking helpless. She heard a car approach, but noticed it was a blue and white, rundown pick-up truck, and not the red jeep she constantly searched for like a beacon.

 

“False alarm,” Nicole muttered. She grabbed a newspaper she kept next to her with her bound hands. Without glancing at the passengers of the passing car, she called out, “It’s okay! I already called the cops and they’re on their way. I’m all set.”

 

“Yeah? You all set for this, Miss HaughtShot?”

 

Nicole turned to see Wynonna holding a Buntline Special straight to her face.

 

“Oh shit.”

 

Doc chimed in. “Well, when you are finished with your kidnapping charade on my sister-in-law, I-“

 

Wynonna punched him in the shoulder. “We’re not married!”

 

“-on sweet Waverly,” Doc continued seamlessly. “We would be much obliged if you could visit the homestead.”

 

~~~~

 

Nicole escaped her rope snare in a hurry, nearly giving herself rope burn. The pain of undoing the ropes forced Nicole to question all of kinky stuff she found in her google searches ‘how to tie yourself up for a girl’. She never wanted that rope burn feeling on her hoo-ha.

 

She unwrapped herself as quick as possible; she had no interest in displeasing the insanely protective woman with the hair of a mane with a Hollywood stylist, or the strange mustache man with the piercing, soul-discovering, blue eyes. Nicole shivered imagining the fury those two were capable of.

 

It only took Nicole about five crappy songs on her crappy radio and two rounds of crappy commercials to get to the homestead. She rolled up to find Doc sitting on the front porch steps smoking a cigarillo and Wynonna’s muscles bulging as she ferociously chopped wood with a machete. Despite the heat, Nicole shivered again.

 

Wynonna wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead and approached Nicole’s truck.

 

“I need to show you something.” She clicked her tongue at Nicole as if calling a horse over to follow her.

 

Which, of course, Nicole did willingly and whole-heartedly.

 

Wynonna and Doc walked Nicole over to the garage and slowly peeked through the side door.

 

Nicole’s whole body stood on alert. Her lungs filled with seemingly too much air, her stomach flipped, and her face warmed.

 

The cause? The main star of the spectacle that the three secretly witnessed.

 

Waverly.

 

She stood on the edge of a ladder, reaching up to paint the top of the silhouette she worked on. Her short arms stretched until the lean muscles of her lower back peeked out from under her shirt. Her paint brush swayed back and forth, in tune to the song she was belting.

 

Waverly’s taut little butt sashayed as she sang, “Nobody else is gonna write your story!”

 

The three voyeurs kept their eyes glued on the beautiful sight before them. By the time Waverly had finished one of the verses, they had closed the door and congregated back by the front of the house.

 

Wynonna worried her bottom lip and scuffed at the dirt.

 

Doc noticed and spoke up, looking Nicole straight on. “She only sings on the days that she meets you.”

 

“No kidding…That song?”

 

That compelled Wynonna to contribute. “When mama was alive, she would sing that song to her every time Waverly was sad, or- or her confidence was low or something. Always made her feel better. So she’s always singin’ it when she’s inna good mood. She fucking annoyed me all through high school cause she’d come home in her cheerleading uniform screeching it at the top of her lungs.”

 

Wynonna’s eyes welled up and she sucked her lips in, clearing her throat.

 

Nicole smiled. “I’m seeing a whole new side to you, Wynonna. And honestly? It’s kinda freaking me out.”

 

Wynonna rolled her eyes.

 

Doc looked Nicole up and down. “What is in it for you? What do you acquire from this?”

 

“I don’t know…”

 

A cracking screech of Waverly hitting the high note – terribly – interrupted the quiet moment of thought. Nicole looked back toward the garage, chuckled to herself, and found what’s in it for her.

 

“…but wouldn’t you want to spend an hour every day listening to that?” Nicole couldn’t think of anything better than loving and spending time with someone who embodies pure **Le`a**.

 

Wynonna looked at Nicole incredulously. “Actually no, she sings like shit.”

 

Nicole shook her head. “Listen, can I ask you guys something? What are you gonna do in the future, when she wakes up and looks in the mirror, only to see a woman aged 10-year older looking back at her?”

 

“You know something, ` **Ehu**? I worry about that every damn day of my life.”

 

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it?? Did it make you laugh?? I hope it did!!
> 
> BUT, are you wanting to cry and be hit in the face with angst and feels? Please read my EFA submission https://archiveofourown.org/works/17683040
> 
> Next time for 'Remember Me', Nicole comes to Waverly’s rescue. Dun dun dUNNNNN


	9. ʻeha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly makes a heart-wrenching discovery. Angst city. But Nicole is steadfast in her support <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> ʻeha--> pain

Nicole steeled herself, more confident than ever. She, Nicole Haught, brought happiness to the literal perfection of a human being. Not just happiness, though! Nicole Haught made Waverly so happy that the tiny angel would sing every time she came across Nicole’s dimpled cheeks.

 

Walking into Shorty’s café, with Wynonna and Doc’s blessing, Nicole sashayed her hips as she recalled the way Waverly’s body moved while she danced. She leaned on the corner of a booth, just admiring Waverly from afar for a bit.

 

Waverly stared intently at the book she read. With each turn of the page, she brought the tips of her fingers to touch her tongue in order to grip the corner of the page. Most importantly, she paid no attention to the waffle house in front of her because her eyes kept peaking out over the top of her book to catch a glimpse of a certain redhead.

 

Nicole took that acknowledgement as the motivation to make a move.

 

She leant down to Waverly’s eye level. “I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Nicole kept it cool and casual. “Can I sit with you, and maybe build a syrup Jacuzzi for your mighty fine waffle house?”

 

Waverly laughed and her nose crinkled up adorably.

 

“Ohhhh,” she elongated her remark just a touch too long. “That’s nice, but I-…have a boyfriend. I’m sorry.” She took a short intake of breath, cringed, and went back to her reading.

 

Nicole smirked. That was easily the most outrageous lie she had ever heard. Waverly? With a boyfriend? The gay gods would never.

 

“Are you making up a boyfriend just to get rid of me?”

 

“Nooo… No, of course not.”

 

“What’s his name then?”

 

Waverly’s mouth dropped into a little ‘o’. Noticing her slip-up, she cooled her features and quickly sucked her in lips. “Champ…”

 

Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh yeah, is that even a real name?”

 

“Yes,” Waverly’s voice squeaked. “He won a rodeo contest so now everyone calls him Champ.”

 

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Champ. Yeah, okay,” she laughed again.

 

Waverly started to give in and laugh too, but something outside caught her eye. “Oh shit.”

 

“Oh no,” Nicole’s eyes dropped. “I’m sorry. I-“

 

“No, not you.” Waverly grabbed her bag and jumped up. “This cop is writing me a ticket.”

 

Waverly blew past Nicole. Her anger acted as fuel carrying her quickly out of the café.

 

Everything moved too swiftly and Nicole panicked. She meekly attempted to stop the train wreck that showed signs of unfolding.

 

She reached her hands out to grab Waverly, telling her not to go out there. But no one can get in the way of an Earp on a mission.

 

Nicole flustered around like a gaping fish out of water and turned to Gus.

 

Gus locked eyes with her. “Go on, girl!”

 

With Gus’s blessing and trust, Nicole ran after Waverly. She reached the fiery woman mid-argument with the cop.

 

Waverly’s knuckles lost color with the pure strength that she held her hand in a fist, digging her fingernails into her palm. “The tags don’t expire for months.”

 

“They _expired_ July of this year.”

 

Waverly stomped her foot. “No, no, no. They expire July of _next_ year.”

 

Nicole cut in. “Officer, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

 

“Listen lady,” the cop spoke over her. “I know that there isn’t one.” Fed up, he thrust the ticket into Waverly’s hand and pivoted away.

 

“I’m not paying for this. It’s September!” She reached to the man next to her who stood watching the commotion. She grabbed his newspaper.

 

Calling the cop’s attention over, Waverly pointed to the paper and yelled. “Look! September!”

 

She held the paper in front of her, to emphasize her point and read out the exact date ‘September 12th, 2016’.

 

_November 22 nd, 2017_

Her eyebrows creased and the corners of her mouth folded downward.

 

_November 22 nd, 2017_

“What?” Waverly whispered.

 

Nicole stood awkwardly to the side, picking at her thumb and feeling a clusterfuck of emotions. She didn’t know how to help. She just had to standby and watch the woman she loved get hit in the face by reality, then backed over by betrayal, and then re-run over by **ʻeha**.

 

Waverly ran to the newspaper stand on Shorty’s porch. She ripped the stand open, and hectically went through each one. She checked their date over and over again.

 

“November. November. November. Novem… fuck!”

 

Her eyes rapidly moved around, trying to grasp onto something. Newspapers flew behind her as she threw them away, tearing them apart piece by piece.

 

Soon, Waverly couldn’t rip the papers apart anymore as her hands shook too violently.

 

Nicole and the small gathering of bystanders watched on helplessly as Waverly escaped from the commotion and tore through the crowd to her Jeep. The roar of her engine, while deafening, wasn’t as loud as Nicole’s rapid thoughts.

 

Waverly hightailed it toward the homestead, unknowingly being followed by a random redheaded stranger.

 

~~~~

 

The honking of a horn thundered through the open clearing surrounding the homestead.

 

Wynonna jolted awake from her mid-morning nap. Taking a look out the window and seeing a speeding red jeep honking incessantly, Wynonna snapped to attention and called out a warning, “Doc! We’ve had a bad day!”

 

She ran down the stairs and flung the door open, only to be met with her worst nightmare.

 

Waverly stood at the door in a permanent state of shock. Her eyes welled up, but no tears came out - not yet.

 

The silence amplified the tension in the house.

 

Wynonna toured Waverly through the homestead, filled with hidden secrets.

 

The whole time. Pure. Uninterrupted. Silence.

 

She opened up her closet door, displaying the stack of fake newspapers.

 

She unlocked the outside freezer, presenting the abundance of pineapples.

 

She exposed her photo album ‘The Beauty in Tragedy’, scrolling through mural after intricate mural. All of Waverly’s creations, of which, were long forgotten.

 

Wynonna walked through their shared home and slowly revealed to Waverly that her life was a lie.

 

It was too much.

 

Waverly pushed open the back screen door and ran out on the dock. She ran until she was as far as possible, with only wide open ocean water in her peripheral vision and the island hidden far back behind her.

 

As far out as she could run away from the world, Waverly let out a bloodcurdling, desperate scream.

 

“WHY?!”

 

She collapsed into a puddle of tears and gasps of breaths.

 

Doc, Wynonna, and Nicole kept their distance as Waverly exploded, allowing her to have the space to grieve on her own. Waverly needed to break down fully before her family could come in and pick up the pieces.

 

By the time Waverly’s voice broke under the strain of it all, leaving her throat dry and raw, the other three ran after her. They surrounded her, but stayed mindful to be careful not to touch her as she may be too sensitive to it.

 

Waverly stayed kneeling there, with her fingers tangled into her hair and hands over her face, unwilling to see the life that turned out all to be a falsehood to her.

 

Wynonna crouched down in front of her. She gathered Waverly’s hands into her own and brought them up to her mouth for a soft and meaningful kiss. She dropped them only to reach down and grab a leather-bound booklet. She held it out in Waverly’s line of vision.

 

“Babygirl. These are from the accident.”

 

Waverly flipped through the booklet.

 

She found a page adorned with adorably little crafted cards with ‘GET WELL SOON MS WAVES’ written in crayon from all of her students.

 

She came across a newspaper article, detailing the accident that she got into with her sister on that fateful day in September.

 

She turned the page to find a picture of herself lying unconscious in a hospital bed, battered and bruised.

 

At that, Waverly’s face scrunched up and tears rapidly escaped her eyes.

 

“Oh no. Noooo.” She moaned and whimpered.

 

She studied the picture of herself and noticed the giant surgical staples across the right side of her head. Matching the spot from the picture onto her own head, she rubbed her fingers across her scalp until she grazed across an enlarged scar. She gasped and her eyes widened.

 

“I can feel it.” She whispered on an exhale.

 

“You were in the hospital for three months, babygirl.”

 

Waverly broke down again, sobbing for what happened, crying for what she’s lost, and bawling for the lie she’d been living.

 

Nicole looked on from the outskirts. Her jaw clenched down tightly and her eyebrows furrowed her forehead. She gnawed on her bottom lip.

 

Doc looked on as well, at a loss seeing such a bright light dimmed to a broken soul.

 

Waverly finally brought her eyes up from the booklet. “I need to talk to this doctor. I need to hear it myself.”

 

Doc crouched down and rubbed her back. “You have heard it, my dear. Many times.”

 

“I have?”

 

“I’ll take her.”

 

Three heads twisted to look at Nicole. Two wary guard dogs and an innocent, broken girl, staring at the woman encroaching on their family.

 

“I have to hear it for myself too.”

 

Nicole jumped head first into the whirlwind that was being a part of the Earp family. Because, now, she was. Only Waverly didn’t know it yet.

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, Waverly and Nicole finally uncover the whole truth.


	10. Poloke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly finally learns of the truth.
> 
> Sorry this took so long!! I was busy working on a film. So 18 hours on set made it so I had no time to write. But here it is! Hope you like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Poloke--> broken

The tension pulsed in the car, enveloping around Nicole’s shoulders and holding her hostage. The single hopeful distraction lay next to her thigh – Waverly’s hand. If only she could hold that hand and tell the woman with no memory of her that everything was going to be okay.

 

Wynonna drove, no better than her sister, while Doc called shotgun. Nicole perched next to Waverly in the back seat, constantly peering over Waverly’s shoulder to discreetly try and get a glance at the book of painful memories.

 

By the time the road they drove on paved over and a dense group of buildings propped up, Waverly was thoroughly over it and she handed the booklet up to Doc.

 

“Here. Please take it, Doc. I can’t.” She shook her head, allowing another tear to escape. “I just can’t look at it anymore.”

 

Nicole smiled sweetly at Waverly, oozing comfort. “It’ll be alright Waves.”

 

“Don’t call me Waves; I barely know you.”

 

Wynonna made eye contact with Waverly through the rear-view mirror.

 

“Well, babygirl. You’re kinda dating her.”

 

Waverly blinked like that one white guy gif she had seen recently. Her eyes landed on Nicole in surprise.

 

“Sorry I’m not a ‘champ’,” Nicole winked at Waverly, smirking at her own joke.

 

Waverly blinked in response.

 

Nicole gulped and her eye twitched.

 

They stared at each other.

 

Ummm…

 

Waverly quickly turned back toward the family she knew and grabbed her chest tightly.

 

“Ohmygosh! What else happened since September 12th? Ohmygosh! What about my students? Ohmygosh”

 

“Ms. Clootie took over your class,” Wynonna interrupted Waverly’s nervous rambling.

 

“Did Chrissy marry that guy, Perry?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Doc, did you win the OK Corral shooting contest?”

 

Doc mumbled through his downturned mustache. “I was unaware of the rules stating that a shooter was prohibited to be inebriated…”

 

Nicole’s and Waverly’s jaws dropped in unison.

 

“Wow,” Nicole muttered under her breath.

 

They all kept silent for a moment, entrapped with their thoughts. Nicole learned so much information in such a short span of time from Waverly’s rapid fire questions. She tried to catalogue everything and store it so she could remember it later - when Waverly couldn’t.

 

Waverly broke the silence and leaned into Nicole.

 

“Do we have sex?” She asked under her breath.

 

Doc and Wynonna whipped their heads around and glared at Nicole, waiting for her answer.

 

“No. We don’t. Just so everybody knows that.”

 

Wynonna and Doc turned back around seemingly satisfied.

 

Nicole cheekily smiled. “We want to though.”

 

Wynonna and Doc’s whiplash sounded through the car. Nicole roughly cleared her throat.

 

“Just kidding.”

 

Nicole’s uncomfortable laughter died out relatively quickly into silence once more.

 

Waverly solemnly sighed.

 

“So you guys just have to lie to me everyday…”

 

~~~

 

The car seemed to be slowing down the closer they got to the city. The weight on Wynonna’s shoulders for feeling responsible for everything happening to Waverly increasingly lifted the weight from her foot on the gas pedal.

 

Before Nicole could get too antsy, they pulled up in front of the Banditos Institute. As much as she itched to run out and open Waverly’s door for her, she settled on the idea of sitting back and acting as an observer, so as to not freak out Waverly’s already overstimulated mind.

 

The double glass doors opened automatically for the group approaching. Wynonna and Doc lead the pack as this place and routine had once been second nature for them. Nicole brought up the rear, taking in her surroundings and ensuring that Waverly felt safe in the middle of their group.

 

Wynonna nodded her head at the men staffing the front desk. “Sup York brothers.”

 

Kyle smiled back, welcoming her and the rest of the group.

 

Pete’s eyes lit up seeing who came in. “Hey Waverly, nice to see you again!”

 

Waverly raised an eyebrow at him and looked inquisitively, before shaking her head and walking away.

 

“What the hell is her problem?” Pete muttered, annoyed.

 

Kyle elbowed him. “She doesn’t remember who you are, brah.”

 

“Oh yeah.” The light bulb of the youngest York brother’s brain finally lit. “Damn. I suck at this job.”

 

~~~~

 

Nicole’s leg bounced as she sat in the chair off to the side in the examination room. Her eyes bounced from the brain scans on the wall, to Waverly sitting on the freshly sanitized examination table, to the doctor, and back again.

 

Waverly sat stock still, tensely waiting to hear the extent of her injury.

 

Doc and Wynonna kept themselves busy elsewhere so that the two others could sit closely and fully take everything in for the first time.

 

Dr. Juan Carlo stood in the middle of the room as the center of their attention. He hovered near the light board on the wall. His hands skipped from image to image as he explained.

 

“These are your brain scans over here. I’m afraid they’re showing no improvement.”

 

Downcast eyes around the room. The doctor took a moment, and continued.

 

“The temporal lobe was severely damaged. What we believe is scar tissue here is impairing your ability to convert short-term memory into long-term memory while you sleep. The condition’s come to be known as Lucado Syndrome.”

 

“Who’s Lucado?”

 

“A brilliant Lithuanian psychiatrist. She herself suffered temporal-lobe damage. Took her four years to publish her findings because she had to keep starting over from scratch.” The doctor cracked a smile.

 

Waverly laughed politely, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

 

Dr. Juan Carlo beamed. He tapped the side of Waverly’s head with his finger. “Obviously, your sense of humor is still intact, and that’s right here.”

 

The doctor let the rapid influx of information settle before he offered for Waverly and Nicole to follow him to his personal office and join the rest of the family to talk more.

 

~~~~

 

As everyone found seats in the office, Doc pulled Juan Carlo aside. He leaned in close enough to the doctor’s face that his mustache brushed up against the other man’s cheek.

 

“Listen, I believe I have to ask you a favor-“

 

Before Doc could finish his question, Juan Carlo blew out the flame keeping Doc’s cigarillo lit.

 

“I would love to help out, but as I’ve said time and time again, this is a medical facility and smoking is not allowed. Put it out, cowboy.”

 

Doc’s eyes were downcast as he snuffed it out, truly embodying a five-year-old who had just gotten caught and in trouble.

 

“Well, anyway, as I was previously saying,” Doc cleared his throat and his eyes quickly roamed the room. “Let us just say that my friend has been experiencing nightmares about being a gunslinger trapped in a well for over a hundred years…And when they wake up, they seem to have wet the bed.”

 

Juan Carlo pats a rough hand on Doc’s shoulder. “Lay off the whiskey, Doc.”

 

Doc’s eyes widen and cheeks blush. “Um..er- I will be sure to tell my friend that.”

 

Nicole, who had been attentive and listening, snickered. She immediately sobered though when Dr. Juan Carlo perched on his desk in front of Waverly, commanding an air of silence.

 

“All in all, Waverly. It looks like you condition is stable, but unfortunately, permanent. I’m so sorry.”

 

Waverly closed her eyes and dropped her head. Her hands squeezed to the point of numbness. She whispered, "I'm  **poloke**." 

 

Juan Carlo continued. “But. It could be worse.”

 

Waverly, holding back her tears with a little sniffle, looked up at him through her wet eyelashes. “Oh yeah? How?”

 

“I think you should meet Remember-me-not Rosita.”

 

With that, the doctor walked the four of them through the institute and through an art therapy room. Patients and doctors swarmed all around. Some wore bandages around their heads, others had aids helping them walk. However, despite their differences, they all managed to stare at this group of newcomers.

 

They came to a stop once they reached a table with a woman sitting alone. They gathered around the table and Juan Carlo settled behind the woman, looking out at the four of them.

 

“This,” he gently tapped the woman’s shoulder, “is the clinic’s most distinguished subject, Rosita.”

 

Seeing four bright, new faces, Rosita jumped up with a full smile and shook everyone’s hands, introducing herself to the group. She ended on Wynonna and winked at her.

 

“Damn girl,” Rosita looked Wynonna up and down. “I’m in love with that leather jacket.”

 

“Oh yeah? You like that? It’s actually an interesting story, I was down in north shore and-“

 

Rosita blinked, smiled wide once again, and reached out to shake Nicole’s hand – effectively interrupting Wynonna.

 

“Hi, I’m Rosita.”

 

She continued down the line once again, except this time, everyone’s hand shakes were much stiffer and their faces solely expressed confusion.

 

Juan Carlo offered a sad smile. “Rosita lost part of her brain in a gang fight. Her memory only lasts 10 seconds.”

 

Rosita’s smile dropped and her eyes widened. “What?!”

 

“It’s okay Rosita, you’ll get over it in about 3 seconds.”

 

She chocked, aghast.  “Over it?! I was shot? I can’t get over that. Was it that damn Revenant who…”

 

Rosita blinked and turned back to Waverly, introducing herself. “Hi, I’m Rosita.”

 

She continued down the line of four once again, but this time when she got to Nicole, Nicole spoke up instead of reintroducing herself.

 

“Hey Rosita, can I tell ya a secret?”

 

Rosita nodded excitedly.

 

Nicole pulled her in by the hand shake and conspiratorially whispered in her ear.

 

They broke apart laughing and Rosita pointed toward Doc asking, “Aren’t you a little old to be having wet dreams?”

 

Everyone joined in on the laughter, including the other patient residents throughout the large room who had heard Rosita’s bellowing proclamation.

 

Rosita blinked and reached her hand out to Doc. “Hi, I’m Rosita.”

 

Doc shook her hand vigorously. “It would be best for you to watch yourself, Miss Ro-Si-Ta.”

 

Wynonna elbowed him deep into his side.

 

~~~~

 

The craziness of the day rested on everyone’s shoulders, but when they pulled up to the homestead, it particularly pulled at Waverly’s stamina. Her exhaustion shone in her heavy eyelids, dried tear tracks, and raw throat.

 

First out of the car, Waverly muttered a ‘goodnight’ and walked to the house.

 

“See you guys tomorrow.” She capitalized with a yawn. She stopped herself at that though, and looked inquisitively at Nicole. “I guess I’ll see you too?”

 

Nicole looked at her. Really, intensely looked at her with smoldering eyes conveying the truth of her words.

 

“Of course Waverly.” She cleared her throat. “You had a really rough day today…I’m so sorry”

 

Waverly’s emotions were too clouded by her thoughts, so she only had the energy to mumble a simple ‘thanks’ and walked back up to the front porch.

 

The other tree gathered to chat, like long time friends. Wynonna punched Nicole in the shoulder, with an excited light in her eyes.

 

“So, red haught tamale, when are we gonna-“

 

“Hey Nicole,” Waverly called out for Nicole’s attention, causing Wynonna, Doc, and Nicole to abruptly stop all conversation and turn at her beck and call, adoringly waiting for what she wanted to say.

 

Waverly, worrying her lip and twirling her hair around her finger, finally brought her eyes back up to meet Nicole’s.

 

“Umm…thank you for being so nice to me today.”

 

“Of course Waves.”

 

Waverly looked back down at her feet, and when she brought her gaze back up, she wore the most adorable, little half smile.

 

Nicole blushed in response.

 

Doc and Wynonna leaned on the truck getting a kick out of these love struck idiots and new found source of entertainment.

 

Waverly took in a deep breath. “I don’t want you to strike out tomorrow…so, maybe, you can talk to me about vanilla dipped donuts?”

 

Nicole snorted – half in amusement, and half in disbelief. “Vanilla dipped donuts?”

 

Waverly gripped her hands nervously behind her back and wet her lips with a swipe of her tongue. She swayed back and forth from the balls of her feet to her toes and back again.

 

“Yeah. They’re my favorite.”

 

“Thanks for the tip.” Nicole tipped an imaginary hat.

 

Waverly smiled shyly. “Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight.” Nicole stood, enraptured as she followed Waverly with her eyes all the way into the house. Her jaw stayed slack, leaving her mouth drawn open a little bit in awe.

 

Wynonna obnoxiously cleared her throat. “Loverboy!”

 

Nicole smirked. “Yes, sir?”

 

Wynonna rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to rush out. Stick around. You’re earned yourself a couple of rounds of whiskey."

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby steps y'all!! Next chapter, Nicole goes above and beyond for Waverly, truly making herself a part of the family.


	11. Malasadas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole has an idea <3
> 
> Happy halfway point! Today’s chapter is a little bit shorter, because it really sets us up for a massive transition in the plot for our characters. Also wanted to leave you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Malasadas--> donuts

The homestead’s dock, well worn and well loved, rocked and creaked with each crash of a wave. The cloudless sky allowed the moon’s reflection to paint a white crease along the ocean water. The sharp clank of three shot glasses hitting a makeshift table ripped Nicole out of her Waverly-induced trance.

 

Doc filled the three glasses to the rim with whiskey, and immediately threw back all three shots. He brought out two more glasses, further indicating that the first three were solely for him.

 

While Wynonna and Doc lounged comfortably in their ratty lawn chairs, one unbalanced and the other dipping too low, Nicole opted to stand and shift her weight back and forth with the slow and steady movement of the tide under the dock.

 

“Do tell, Miss Haught. What do you plan to do once you have fixed your boat?”

 

Nicole’s nerd emerged in a gleam of excitement. “Oh! I’m going to head up to Canada to study undersea specific walrus behavior. Just me, the ocean air, and those magnificent creatures.”

 

Wynonna looked Nicole up and down, sticking her tongue into her cheek as she scrutinized her. “Huh…sounds kinda fruity.”

 

Nicole’s face dropped into a scowl and she let the statement fall flat, before muttering a monotone ‘thank you, Wynonna.’.

 

Doc broke through their stare down. “How long will this voyage take you away?”

 

“About a year.”

 

Wynonna tipped back a shot. “Well I bet you won’t be missin’ days like today.”

 

Nicole bit her lip, suddenly becoming more interested in her shoes than the people in front of her. She rocked from her toes to heels and back again. “Well…” She breathed out hard and long. On the exhale, she peeked out from under her eyelashes. “What if days like today don’t have to be so bad?”

 

Doc observed her slowly over his whiskey glass. “And how, pray tell, do you believe that could be a possibility?”

 

“Well with days like today,” Nicole gingerly straddled a box of tools to look both Doc and Wynonna in the eyes. “You’re not just telling Waves about the accident. You’re basically telling her that her whole life is a lie. A-…a giant set up. A game that you two play.”

 

Wynonna lunged up and toward Nicole. “What? So, you’re an expert now?!”

 

Nicole jerked back. She watched as Wynonna paced in front of her with her hands tightly tangled into her thick mane of hair. As the agitation in the air grew, Nicole couldn’t be sure if it was directed towards her or towards the fiery woman herself. Based on Wynonna’s lack of eye contact with her, Nicole guessed it could be a mixture of both.

 

“Do you understand how lucky I am? That this fucking happened to her _after_ I came back? I was a shit sister my whole life. I left her. I left her behind when Daddy and Willa died. This accident could’ve happened before I came back. She could’ve forgotten every damn day that I _came back_. I’m broken enough as it is; I can’t have her thinking that I never came back.” Shaking her head, Wynonna turned her attention back to Nicole.  “So I make sure that each and every day she is reminded that she’ll always be my baby girl and that she is so, so goddamn loved.”

 

“I know, Wynonna…I’m not an expert, and I know that you have your way of making sure she feels loved and comfortable.” Nicole tried to placate the situation. “I just wish there was another way besides ‘sorry we couldn’t trick ya today, but here. Enjoy some pictures of your broken head’.”

 

Wynonna drew her hand into a fist. “You want a broken head? Huh, ginger spice?”

 

“I beg your pardon, Wynonna. Are you going to give her one?” Doc drawled.

 

“Nobody is gonna break my head,” Nicole slapped her hands down on her knees and pushed herself up. “I gotta go anyways.”

 

“Miss Haught, do not leave just because Wynonna here cannot handle her whiskey.”

 

“Nah, it’s okay. Thanks Doc. Goodnight; sweet dreams you guys. And Doc, speaking of not handling whiskey, try to keep your dreams dry tonight, yeah?”

 

Wynonna choked on her whiskey and slapped Doc’s back roughly. Nicole walked away to the sound of Wynonna’s cackling.

 

Out of eyesight and in front of the homestead, Nicole snuck through the open window of Wynonna’s truck, grabbing the booklet of Waverly’s broken memories.

 

~~~~

 

For the first time in her life, the open, freeing ocean wasn’t calling out to her. Nicole’s skin didn’t itch with the disdain of being on land. Her soul no longer felt empty, missing something that only the joy of taking care of a walrus could temporarily fill. She had purpose. She had purpose that coursed through her veins and drove her every move.

 

That purpose currently motivated her to wait behind a couple of palm trees out in front of the homestead.

 

That purpose materialized in front of her in the form of honey-brown hair floating through the wind, luscious lips mouthing along to a song on the radio, and a fit, toned body bouncing along with each unpaved dip in the road.

 

Nicole sighed.

 

_Waverly._

Love-struck idiot.

 

Hearing the jeep’s engine turn off, Nicole bounced on the balls of her feet, amping herself up. The car door slamming shut coincided with Nicole’s dimples popping, her eyes shining, and her step skipping.

 

“Excuse me, Waverly Earp?”

 

Waverly squinted up at the stranger. “Yes?”

 

“I have a delivery for you.” Nicole reached out and displayed the box of a dozen vanilla dipped **malasadas**.

 

“For me?”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Her lip turned up into a crooked smile.

 

Waverly let out a gasp of admiration. “Vanilla dipped donuts?” She opened the box and sniffed deeply. “They’re my favorite.” She looked back up to Nicole, acknowledging her existence. “Who are they from?”

 

Nicole smirked. “A secret admirer.” She topped it off with a wink. “They also want you to have this.”

 

In addition to the box of donuts, Nicole handed Waverly a wrapped box with the painstakingly effortful wrapping job clear as day – each side creased and bow tied to perfection.

 

Wynonna peeked out through the door seeing the interaction take place. She decided to interject.

 

“Who is that out there, babygirl?”

 

Waverly skipped toward her sister. “Oh, well,” she pointed back to Nicole. “We just met. But look Wynonna! I have a secret admirer.” She shimmied her shoulders and waggled her eyebrows.

 

Wynonna noticed the present and flicked it. “And what’s this?”

 

Waverly pulled it back sharply. “It’s mine,” she said pointedly. She added, “And I think it’s a video tape.”

 

Wynonna’s eyes narrowed as she looked past Waverly and zeroed in on a jittery Nicole. “Of what?”

 

“I don’t know.” Waverly giggled in anticipation. “But I have to find out!” She shrugged and skipped past Wynonna to the open door.

 

However, she quickly pivoted and landed a kiss on Wynonna’s check. “Almost forgot! Happy birthday sis.”

 

Wynonna kissed her sister’s forehead in response. “Thanks babygirl.”

 

As Waverly skipped into the house, Wynonna charged toward Nicole.

 

Calm as can be, Nicole mocked, “Happy birthday ma’am! What are you, 200 today?”

 

“Oh, that’s cute.” Wynonna flicked Nicole’s forehead.

 

Nicole flinched back and started to complain before Wynonna cut her off.

 

“What are you even doing here, carrot top?”

 

Sobered and serious, Nicole’s concern filled eyes bore into Wynonna. “I wanted to try something different. If it doesn’t work, it only ruins one day. I just want to give Waves a chance…”

 

Wynonna let this sink in, and gave a slight nod of her head. She led Nicole into the house, where Waverly was pushing the tape into the player.

 

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so excited for you guys to see what Nicole did for Waverly!! Welcome to the next few weeks with a break from the angst.


	12. Aloha nui loa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole makes a tape for Waverly.
> 
> I made the writing in a format that I think is easier to understand for this chapter. Anything italicized is the video. I put extra space in between the transitions from real life to the video and back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Aloha nui loa --> with very much love  
> ‘ohana –-> extended family (ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind)  
> ‘Aumakua –-> ancestral spirit, family, or personal gods

_‘I’m the only one that can write my story’_

The sounds of the song that Mama Earp used to sing to Waverly drifted through the homestead. The song that Waverly, unknowingly, sang every time she met a certain redhead. Sitting on a pillow, Waverly’s smile grew even bigger hearing the song.

 

 

_‘Nobody else’s gonna do it for me’_

Waverly bopped around to the music as she sat on the floor in front of the couch. She slowed down, though, as the TV screen displayed its first message.

 

 

_‘Everything is going to be okay…_

Wynonna, Doc, and Nicole watched from behind the couch, with Nicole keeping a special eye on Waverly’s every reaction.

 

 

_…but here are some things you missed this year…’_

_A series of news clips played in a montage, with the dates flashing along with each scene._

_‘Deadliest mass shooting in the US; 59 dead’_

_‘Moonlight and La La Land mix-up at the Oscars’_

_‘Flint water crisis’_

_‘#MeToo movement’_

_‘Woman on Tinder date tries to escape through bathroom window after pooing’_

_‘Marvel decided to stop making sequels’_

_The trailer for Black Panther began playing, until a record scratch sound effect._

_‘Just kidding’_

_A slideshow of the promotional pictures for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider Man: Homecoming, and Avengers: Infinity War._

_‘Donald Trump was elected president’_

_News footage of his inauguration and stepping into the oval office._

_‘…not kidding…’_

_A snapshot of a newspaper article zoomed in on Doc’s face. It then read across the headline._

_‘Local shooter disqualified for alcoholism’_

Waverly’s jaw seemed permanently dropped. Her eyebrows raised with a mixture of fear, concern, and sadness written across her forehead and eyes. She craned her neck to lock eyes with Doc, looking for any kind of confirmation. She quickly whipped back to the TV in front of her.

 

 

_‘You don’t remember any of this because…’_

_A series of footage appeared page by page, all presenting the memories from Waverly’s booklet. The newspaper describing the accident, the notes from her students, the picture of her in the hospital, and more._

Waverly slid forward onto her knees, drawn in by what she discovered on screen. Her breathing became quicker and louder through her gaping open mouth, gasping with each new discover.

 

Taking a deep breath, she regarded Wynonna with big blinking eyes, who just responded with a downcast face, creased eyebrows, and a heartbreaking frown. Waverly’s face crinkled as she started crying, especially when she reached to feel the scar along her head, further validating everything in the video.

 

Hearing the music come to a stop, Waverly’s eyes darted back up to the screen.

 

Nicole, who had been watching this unfold and holding her breath all the while, stopped and gulped hard when she saw herself on screen. She desperately needed air; but instead, she eagerly waited to see Waverly’s reaction before she took that necessary breath.

 

 

_‘Okay, I think it’s on. Go. Go.’_

_Nicole stared into the lens of the shaky, hand held camera as three children darted behind her._

_‘Aloha! I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.’ She winked._

Waverly clued in to the fact that the woman on her screen was also the stranger currently in her living room. She glanced at Nicole with wide doe eyes.

 

Nicole finally took that much needed breath at the sight of that recognition.

 

 

_‘We met here at Shorty’s Café a little over a year after your accident.’ Nicole gestured to the café they were filming in._

_Nicole, clearly nervous and not a natural on camera, giggled and continued. ‘I like you and you like me…’ She bit her lip. ‘…most days.’_

Waverly gasped, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth while her eyes grew impossibly bigger. She slowly turned her head to look at Nicole again.

 

Nicole looked up at her through her eyelashes and tossed her a soft smile, before sucking her lips in nervously and looking back to the screen.

 

 

_Nicole moved about the café and looked excitedly into the camera. ‘Every day is different, but basically, this is what happens Waverly.’_

_Another voice came in with a rushed whisper. ‘Kikikoloko, take the camera.’_

_A little red headed boy with two missing front teeth stood at an extreme close up. ‘I got it ma.’ The camera transferred over to the kid – clumsily._

_‘Don’t drop it!’_

_Nicole waved him off. ‘Okay, all right. Here we are, right here.’ Nicole longingly stared through the screen, trying to see into Waverly’s confused, wide eyes. ‘The part of you in this reenactment will be played by my good friend, Mercedes.’_

_The camera turned to Mercedes sitting in a booth, specifically, Waverly’s regular booth. She wore a poorly made, makeshift wig made out of brown yarn, and a coconut bra._

_Mercedes waved at the camera. ‘Aloha. Sorry about your brain.’_

 

 

Waverly managed a closed mouth smile with a bit of a blush.

 

_‘I had an accident too. Believe it or not,’ Mercedes pointed to her face. ‘This is all fake. Ever since I got my face ripped off.’ She smiled brightly at the camera._

Wynonna chuckled, glancing at Nicole to laugh over the ridiculousness of this other ginger woman.

 

 

_‘We ready?’_

_‘Yeah.’_

_A very awkward, yet equally hilarious, staged reenactment commenced, starting with Nicole approaching the booth. One, two, three steps toward the booth, stop. Lean forward. Smile._

_‘Hello. I like that waffle teepee that you have built.’_

_The camera panned down to a stack of pancakes with toothpicks and straws sticking out of it, then panned up to a coconut bra clad Mercedes gesturing to Nicole._

_‘Oh! So nice of you to notice. Please, sit down.’_

_Nicole sat down and sent a bright smile to the camera, dimples popping for whoever was watching. ‘I would love to.’_

_She and Mercedes shook hands robotically._

_‘My name is Nicole, by the way.’_

_‘My name is Waverly.’_

_Nicole extended out her hands. ‘Smell my fingers?’_

_Mercedes took a whiff. ‘Fish?’ She looked into the camera and threw up a shaka. ‘Right on.’_

 

 

Waverly remained glued to the screen with watery eyes and with the corner of her mouth upturned in what could be considered a smile.

 

 

_‘So, Waverly, I work at an aquarium.’_

_Mercedes’ eyes rolled back and she circled her coconut boobs seductively with her fingers. ‘Aquariums make me super horny.’_

_Nicole groaned. ‘That’s not funny.’_

_Mercedes started moaning and biting her lip._

_‘Ah, c’mon.’ Nicole begged. ‘Don’t rub those!’_

_Nicole desperately stated to the camera. ‘Wynonna, if you’re watching, I’m sorry.’_

Wynonna sent a daggered glare toward Nicole.

 

Nicole slapped her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes, shaking her head, and failing at hiding her amusement.

 

 

_‘It’s very late and my friend is clearly unstable.’_

_Mercedes grasped on of the coconuts, stared into the camera, and-_

_-and started licking it._

_‘No no no!’ Nicole cried out. ‘Come on, stop with the licking! You’re making me sick. Ugh, Waverly, I’m sorry.’_

Waverly outwardly laughed – full crinkly eyes and a wide, showcasing teeth smile.

 

Nicole couldn’t stop herself from smiling due to Waverly’s clear glee. It was simply too infectious. She nodded her head in fascination, happiness, and approval.

 

 

_‘Anyway, I know you wish I was making all this stuff up. I wish I was too…’ Nicole dragged her feet away from the hilarity of the reenactment situation and sat at a different booth. Looking into the camera, she tried to convey her sincerity in the moment as she talked._

Waverly sobered as well, dwelling in a state of shock and hanging onto Nicole’s every word as if  they were a life raft out in the tumultuous sea.

 

 

_‘But the good news is, so many people out here care about you: your sister and Doc, and a couple of your friends here at Shorty’s have a message for you.’_

Waverly gulped and licked her lips, holding in her tears.

 

 

_Gus appeared on screen, holding up polaroids._

_‘Waverly, as you know, your mother and I were best friends. That’s why I promised her that I’d always help keep an eye on you and look after you. An’ I continued to, even after your father and Willa left us too. An’ I continue to, even when you don’t remember.’_

Waverly leaned closer to the screen at the familiar face and the love and affection that came with it.

 

 

_Gus laughed, with a sad smile and watery eyes, ‘You’re my **‘ohana** Waverly. Sometimes life ain’t very fair…but I thank **‘Aumakua**_ _every day that we still got you.’_

 

Waverly loses it at that. Her whole face twisted up and turned red as a single, strangled sob burst out. But she paid close attention when Gus starts speaking again.

 

 

_‘Oh. And if you’re wondering about the woman who’s makin’ this tape…she’s okay.’ Gus flashed a rare smile._

Waverly brought her heavy gaze up to Nicole who attempted to stay still and radiate love – and more importantly – patience.

 

 

_The video cut to an extreme close up of Nedley’s stoic, tattooed face._

_‘Hello, Waverly. Just so you know, since you lost your memory, I became sheriff of Hawaii.’ He flashed a smile as big as his bushy mustache._

_The camera quickly zoomed out to reveal Nedley in an apron holding a giant garbage bag next to the dumpsters behind Shorty’s._

_He let out a short, gruff laugh. ‘No, I’m just kidding. I’m too smart.’_

Waverly nodded her head with a knowing smile.

 

 

_The camera cut to Mercedes sitting in the booth, right before she jumped up with an accusatory finger pointing in a direction past the camera’s view._

_‘Kualaliku! Get your brother off the dishwasher!’_

_The camera swiveled back to Nicole, who earnestly spoke from the heart._

_‘So, whenever you’re ready, we’d all love to talk to you and answer any questions you may have. And you’re the best, Waverly. Where you go, we go. **Aloha nui loa** ,’_

_Nicole waved goodbye._

Waverly slowly shook her head as Doc sauntered over to the TV and shut it off.

 

Silence roared through the room

 

Waverly kept blinking and opening her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

 

Doc ground his teeth in anticipation. Wynonna’s frown deepened in concern, awaiting Waverly’s reaction. Nicole’s nervous energy bounced her back and forth, worrying her lip to the point of being in desperate need of chapstick.

 

Finally, with one last swallowing back of tears, Waverly’s eyes vacant and staring, she asked the room, “how many times have I watched this?”

 

Wynonna cleared her throat, quick to answer. “This is the first time.”

 

Waverly's eyes fell shut.

 

Nicole exhaled.

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time, you get some WAYHAUGHT FLUFF YAY
> 
> Unfortunately, next time is probably gonna be in 2 weeks since I’m working on another set. 14-hour work days don’t pair well with writing lol. Love you guys!! Please send me comments so I know you guys want me to come back to it, especially then I miiiiiight be able to squeeze in a chapter for Wednesday.


	13. Ke koa nui

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly explore life post-tape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Pali--> cliff  
> koa nui--> giant tree native to Hawaii  
> Pōpolo kū mai--> Hawaiian pokeweed  
> hula kahiko--> type of dance native to Hawaii  
> lei po’o--> headpiece  
> kupe’e -->anklet  
> lei--> necklace made up of things found in the forest like flowers and leaves  
> pāʻū--> woven skirt

Waverly stared desperately out into the water…

 

Waverly leaned her weight on a splintered pole out by the dock. This time around while dealing with the shock of the reveal, she didn’t feel the need to run all the way out to the edge of the dock; but, she appreciated being able to process everything while looking out into the crashing waves, and even further out to the calm blue depths of the ocean. The ocean breeze tickled her face and danced with the loose strands of her hair, calming her.

 

Nicole stared longingly at Waverly, from a few feet behind her…

 

Nicole observed the whole time, long enough for the sun to reach its peak. Despite the trail of sweat now dripping down her back and the tops of her shoulders burning, she remained steadfast – for Waverly. But also, for herself. She needed to see the consequences of her labor that she put into that video. She wistfully imagined that Waverly would’ve jumped into her arms, kissed her senseless, thanking her for giving her a piece of her life back. Nicole, ever the rational one, knew that that scenario didn’t equate success. Rather, it was the little things to pay attention to. So, Nicole stayed alert to those small, positive changes.

 

Wynonna sat on the porch, staring at Nicole who stared at her sister…

 

Wynonna perked up when Nicole gently approached.

 

“She only cried for an hour. That’s not too bad. I’m sure in another hour, she’ll be ready to go out, see some friends, grab some lunch, and get her life back. You-…” Nicole licked her lips and tried again. “We. We could do this everyday.”

 

As Wynonna nodded and contemplated, Nicole shifted from foot to foot.

 

“I just think every time Waverly finds out the truth, she feels like she’s at the edge of a **pali** , terrified of jumping. But with this video, I truly believe that she won’t have to think about the **pali** anymore, because she knows that when she reaches the edge, she’ll fly.”

 

“Jesus, you’re like a walking bumper sticker.”

 

The two joined in genuine laughter and understanding, until a shy Waverly worked her way back to Wynonna and Nicole.

 

Waverly wrinkled her nose and squinted her eyes. “So…how’s the car after the accident?”

 

“Same as you. Everyday, we have to show it a tape to remind it that it’s a car.” Nicole winked and smirked.

 

Waverly’s shy smile blew into a full grown grin.

 

~~~~

 

“Wow. Look. It’s healing.” Waverly’s eyes sparkled.

 

It was golden hour. The sun just barely hit the horizon, casting a spectacular glow on everything the light touched. Nicole’s car reflected the golden light from where it was parked on the outskirts of the field.

 

Waverly danced around the  **koa nui** , tracing her finger along the bark and sketching out the dents where the car tore through the bark in the crash.

 

Nicole could see the significance behind it. She could see that this tiny amazon of a woman, who showcased such strength and who emphatically loved and appreciated everything that nature had to offer, brushed her hand against this tree for a specific reason. Nicole saw it in the way her fingertips flexed at each indent. Nicole saw past Waverly’s delicate touch to the deeper meaning of the fingers running along the tree. This tree held the last moment of Waverly’s recollection of memories. As Waverly traced round and round, Nicole could practically see her begging the roots to sprout out and grasp her, allowing her access to her memories within.

 

After Nicole scrutinized Waverly’s dancing fingers along the tree, she relaxed into appreciating the unique beauty of the moment.

 

The prickly, yet lush, **pōpolo kū mai** swayed along with the wind, allowing the light to sparkle in different areas, cascading a glittery glow. The golden light bounced, particularly highlighting everything elegant and beautiful about Waverly. Her smile, her lips, her eyes, the tint of a blush against her cheeks, the careless way in which her hair tangled, the dip between her breasts, the luscious strokes of her collarbone, and her toned abs underneath the fabric of a form-fitting shirt. All of it. Waverly drew the light like it was meant for her.

 

Nicole couldn’t help but stare at the ethereal glow surrounding Waverly’s every feature.

 

The atmosphere around them created a softness that didn’t seem tangible, except in this exact moment with these two exact people.

 

Waverly tilted her head to the side, surveying Nicole as the light breeze swept up her hair.

 

Noticing Nicole had an aware audience, she immediately snapped out of her trance. From a short distance, she framed the scene with her hands, squinted her eyes, and peaked her tongue out in concentration.

 

Nodding her head, Nicole explained her actions. “I’ve never hung out with you this late, and you know, in this sunset golden hour of light,” she moved her imaginary frame towards Waverly, “you look absolutely disgusting.”

 

Waverly burst out in laughter, her whole face alight with giddy joy.

 

Nicole joined in, biting down on her bottom lip in an attempt to keep from smirking at her own joke.

 

“Well,” Waverly challenged as she sauntered toward Nicole, who matched her each march forward with an equal step back. “I don’t understand how you get me to fall for that dimple ridden face of yours every day!”

 

“Well,” Nicole echoed Waverly. “All I gotta do is slide on some khaki pants and just kind wiggle a little in front of you…”

 

The two women joined in soft giggles until Waverly reached for Nicole’s hand.

 

They both looked down at the contact.

 

Waverly played with Nicole’s fingers, reveling in the touch. “Have you ever met someone and instantly known in your heart that they meant something to you?”

 

Nicole sighed. “I might kinda get that, yeah.”

 

“Why couldn’t I have met you just one day before the accident?” Her whispered question came out as a wistful daydream, a confession of the heart, not actually searching for an answer.

 

“Don’t worry,” Nicole squeezed Waverly’s hand and gently pulled her to continue wandering. “If you had known me for more than one day, you would notice just how boring and normal I am.”

 

Waverly’s playful smirk reappeared and she brought her eyes back up to Nicole. She hummed. “Well, I have news for you.”

 

Nicole pivoted in front of Waverly, effectively stopping her. “Oh yeah?”

 

Waverly put her hands on her hips, shimmied her shoulders forward, and with crinkly eyes laughed into saying, “It takes less than one day.”

 

Nicole gasped in horror.

 

Waverly stuck her tongue out at her.

 

“Well I have news for you too.” Nicole’s voice trembled like a cartoon character, low and wobbly. “That hurt. Your damaged temporal lobe is causing me pain and I’m gonna get you for that.”

 

Waverly’s eyes glinted for the challenge and she hissed like a jungle cat.

 

Nicole’s eyes widened. “That’s it, now you’re dead!”

 

Waverly squealed and rushed away, her laughter echoing through the whispering brush while Nicole chased her around the tree.

 

Their joint laughter gave way to a beautiful image.

 

Waverly danced around the tree, with the object of her new budding romance chasing after her. That tree being the same one that almost ended all possibilities of this sort of thing happening. And yet, here they were. Dancing, laughing, and exploring the beginnings of their relationship.

 

~~~~

 

The frigid condensation sweating on the outer layer of glass was a welcome distraction from the heat of the day. A better distraction? Watching Waverly genuinely laugh. That produced its own kind of heat within Nicole…one that Nicole most definitely did not mind.

 

Nicole held both of their fruity drinks and hung back by the beach bar. She had ‘worked’ with Wynonna on organizing a luau at the beach and invite all of Waverly’s friends to celebrate a new beginning.  

 

Turns out, working with Wynonna just meant cleaning up as Wynonna drank, ate, and napped while Nicole actually worked.

 

But now, no matter how they got there, Nicole basked in the fruition of her passion project. And there was no greater gift than leaning at the bar, soaking up the sun, and enjoying the view.

 

Two **hula kahiko** dancers and a band performed. The actual performance was that of a singing Mercedes dressed in traditional **lei po’o** , **kupe’e** , **lei** , and **pāʻū** ; but in typical Mercedes fashion, she topped off the outfit with a coconut bra and used two protruding shark teeth to portray taught nipples. 

 

A group of people huddled around an ash-filled pit in the sand, basking in the afternoon light. Waverly sat within the circle on a lava rock that had been smoothed out over the centuries. It gave her perfect access to swivel around and look out at all her friends. These friends being people who she could’ve sworn she had seen yesterday, but truly hadn’t seen in over a year.

 

_Swivel_

 

Waverly gestured towards a couple standing on the outskirts of the group. “Chrissy! I can’t believe you’re married.”

 

Perry lifted up his wife’s shirt. “And pregnant!”

 

“Way to ruin the surprise, Per.” Chrissy scoffed and dragged her shirt back down.

 

_Swivel_

 

“Samantha Baker, as I live and breathe, you look so beautiful! The curly hair is perfect for you.”

 

“Thanks Waves!”

 

_Swivel_

 

Waverly addressed the next person seriously. “And I’m so happy that you got that gender reassignment surgery Maddie, er- Umm,” Waverly cleared her throat and brushed her hair back behind her ear. “I mean- Matt. Sorry about that.”

 

Matt shook it off, placating Waverly as she rambled on with numerous apologizes. “Mahalo Waverly.”

 

Nicole interrupted the group’s banter, bringing Waverly a drink and sitting down next to her. She wrapped her long limbs around Waverly, effectively providing a cocoon of warmth.

 

Samantha’s excitement urged her to address the new arrival. “So, you’re Waverly’s friend?” Her eyebrows waggled. “The one who made the tape?”

 

Nicole, sipping her drink, just nodded her head.

 

But Waverly responded with a nervous excitement in her eyes. “I think she’s more than just my friend. I think she’s my girlfriend.” She cast a glance to Nicole. “Right?”

 

Nicole’s smile couldn’t have been brighter. “Yes ma’am.”

 

Chrissy searched for confirmation too. “So every day you help her to realize what happened...”

 

Nicole nodded again.

 

“…and you wait patiently for her to be okay with it...”

 

Nicole nodded with just a hint of a dimple popping.

 

“...then get her to fall in love with you again?”

 

Red colored Nicole’s cheeks as she smiled and nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

 

Chrissy backslapped Perry’s chest.

 

“Ow!”

 

“You asshole.” Chrissy grumbled. “You don’t even open the fricking car door for me anymore.”

 

Waverly quickly breathed in and brought her head back, wrinkling her face as a whole and making a quadruple chin. Her overly expressive face morphed her mouth into a stretched out frown with her eyes the size of saucers.

 

Feeling the awkward energy rolling off Waverly in waves, Nicole politely laughed and cuddled Waverly further into her.

 

“Ooooo, you’re in trouble mister!” Matt joked.

 

~~~~

 

Only the moon and its reflection along the water illuminated the two pairs of bare feet gliding along the sand. The repetitive lull of the tide crashing in and rushing out drowned out all other sound. The ocean breeze created a slight chill, effectively covering Waverly in goosebumps.

 

Waverly and Nicole slowly sauntered across the skinny beach, deep in conversation. They approached a cave and raced each other inside.

 

Waverly, ever the researcher, explored every nook and cranny.

 

Nicole, however, flaunted her muscles bouldering a wall within the cave. She reached a flat rock jetting out and pulled herself up to look back down a Waverly, but when she did, she couldn’t make eye contact.

 

Waverly’s eyes were glued to her ass.

 

Nicole would later tease her that drool had escaped the corner of her mouth.

 

The two escaped the darkness of the cave on the other side, finding that a fire had been abandoned in a pit. The burning flames lit up the frothy ends of the waves and cast shadows across the rockface behind them.

 

Using the light from the fire to her advantage, Waverly took out her phone and directed it at Nicole.

 

Nicole heard the _ding_ indicating that Waverly clicked record. She couldn’t help but feel awkward under the scrutiny of the eyes behind the camera; so, she focused on her feet as her toes played within the sand with each step.

 

Waverly clearly found it endearing. “So, tell me about yourself, Miss Nicole Haught.”

 

“Well,” Nicole stared off to the invisible horizon with a mischievous glint in her eye. “I’m quite rebellious. I used to smoke outside of church instead of ever going in.”

 

Waverly laughed and her eyebrows jumped up her forehead. “Really?”

 

“Yep. I’m also a professional belly dancer, but only in my bathroom.”

 

Waverly giggled and shook her head.

 

The two quieted down until they came to a soft stop.

 

Waverly toed at the sand, eyes looking anywhere but at Nicole.

 

“Waves. What do you want to know?”

 

Hazel eyes peeked out through dampened eyelashes. “Ummm, do you…do you love me?”

 

Nicole poked her tongue inside her cheek and let out a little half smile.

 

“I- I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I was just asking more for informational purposes.” Waverly rambled while pointing at the camera to emphasize her point and validate her reasoning to ask. “It’s to keep the video as up-to-date as possible.”

 

“Sure.”

 

Nicole smirked. She gazed out in the ocean, and then stared back into Waverly’s eyes.

 

Waverly felt the pressure of Nicole’s loaded stare, and instead dropped her eyes to watch Nicole through the lens of the camera.

 

Nicole licked her lips. “Well, love is a very loaded word…Let’s see. I got to this café every morning, and I see you there, alternating between reading and making a waffle tower. And…I do, Waverly Earp. I love you very much. Honestly, I’ve never loved anyone the way that I love you.”

 

Waverly briskly brought her head back up from the camera, with half hooded eyes, rosy cheeks, and a smile on her lips. Her eyes darted down to Nicole’s lips.

 

“And, how do I feel about you?”

 

“Well, I’d say you’re excited about the belly dancing thing.”

 

Waverly scoffed and rolled her eyes at Nicole’s innate ability to put her at ease.

 

“And,” Nicole continued. “You’ve been dying to make out with me for some time now.”

 

Waverly jaw dropped. She inched forward, zeroing in on brown eyes, and used Nicole’s loving gaze to motivate her further. She gently caressed the side of Nicole’s face, to which Nicole closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

 

Time stood still.

 

Then.

 

Waverly lifted up onto her toes and kissed Nicole.

 

The faintest touch of the lips ignited a gentle fire within. Their arms wrapped around each other. Nicole pulled Waverly in by the hips, keeping her as close as possible throughout the kiss.

 

Needing air, the two only separated their lips, otherwise, they kept as much contact as possible. Their foreheads rested on each other and they breathed each other’s air, trying to grasp any oxygen.

 

Nicole reflected on the fact that for more than a year, Waverly – bright, beautiful, vivacious Waverly - missed out on living life. And when she sometimes learned the truth, she launched into a pit of despair.  Nicole bit her lip, curious to know how this personally magical moment affected the magnificent woman in front of her.

 

“Feeling better now?”

 

Waverly giggled and heartedly nodded her head.

 

“Nothing beats a first kiss.”

 

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!!! Nothing like a first kiss, right?


	14. Nou No Ka ‘I’ini

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly experiences her first kiss with Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Nou No Ka ‘I’ini--> I desire you

Nicole loved heaven; and this was it.

 

Nicole loved _her._

 

Waverly’s hands gripped Nicole’s shoulder blades, massaging into the tense muscles there. Nicole’s hand gently caressed Waverly’s wavy locks. But most importantly, the two locked their lips together and never seemed to cease.

 

The two stood embraced in the shadows of a lighthouse they had christened ‘Pussy Point’, simply because the rocks encasing the lighthouse outlined the lips and the lighthouse stood proudly as the clit.

 

Their kisses turned into smiles and they separated for a moment.

 

Waverly’s sparkling eyes surveyed the mystical place Nicole took them to. Those eyes never settled, constantly finding some new, exciting thing to inspect. She continued to dance around Nicole, pointing out the beauty in their privately found place.

 

While Waverly couldn’t get over the view, Nicole couldn’t get over her. Everything about Waverly fully consumed Nicole until her heart beat specifically for each time Waverly laughed, or smiled, or kissed her, or even just glanced her way.

 

Seeing Nicole’s affectionate gaze enlightened a fire within Waverly, so she skipped back over to her, grasped gorgeous flaming hair, and gave her a smoldering kiss.

 

It wasn’t until the sun reached the horizon that they slowed down their make out session.

 

Waverly pulled back, flushed and glowing. “There’s nothing like a first kiss.”

 

~~~~

 

Endless hills of pineapples gave a course, rough contrast to the rolling clouds colored by the sunset.

 

Nicole wandered hand in hand with Waverly, exploring Purgatory Pineapple Plantation. She followed Waverly, listening intently to each spot she pointed out within the fields.

 

Waverly’s face lit up with each new story she could share with Nicole. She gave Nicole access to all of her most important memories, especially those trips to the plantation for all of Wynonna’s birthdays.

 

Nicole noticed Waverly’s dress fluttering wildly in the wind. Her blazer quickly found itself wrapped around Waverly’s shoulders to keep the girl warm.

 

Their silhouettes embraced and leaned in to kiss.

 

“Nothing beats a first kiss.”

 

~~~~

 

The water lapped at their shoulders. Salt clung to their hair. Laughter filled the air.

 

Waverly and Nicole swam far, far out into the ocean so that they couldn’t see the bottom anymore.

 

Nicole thanked the gay gods for the blessing that was playing water polo as a child, as her muscular arms enveloped around Waverly and her training kept them both afloat.

 

Their kisses, sloppy and wet, tasted salty.

 

Waverly tangled her legs around Nicole’s waist. Biting her lip, she leaned back to appreciate Nicole, without the distraction of the other girl’s lips.

 

“Wow.” Waverly breathed. “Our first kiss.”

 

Nicole leaned in and ensured there were many more than that.

 

~~~~

 

Jeremy sat in a unicorn float out in the ocean, basking in the sun on his off day and ogling at all the hot dudes.

 

He surveyed the beach and found Nicole and Waverly kissing on the sand.

 

He squealed.

 

“Awwww, nothing like a first kiss-“

 

A wave crashed on top of him, knocking him off his trusty unicorn.

 

~~~~

 

The aquarium after hours was Nicole’s favorite place, so she decided to bring her favorite person there. The emptiness of the hallway within the tunnel of the shark tank called out to the couple of seemingly love struck teenagers sneaking in and wrecking havoc.

 

Nicole skirted along the wall as if she were participating in a secret mission, whispering at Waverly to follow her in their covert acts. She tucked and rolled directly into the hallway and watched as Waverly soaked up everything around them.

 

Waverly’s laughs turned into nervous rambling about the sharks around them. “They’re truly magnificent, you know? Based on fossil scales found in Australia and around here, scientists hypothesize that sharks first appeared in the ocean around 455 million years ago. Oh look at that one!” She pointed to a scalloped hammerhead shark swimming above them. “It’s so cool being here after hours when it’s all dark, because we get to see their fantastic night vision! Most sharks can see well in dark lighted areas _and_ see colors because the back of their eyeballs have a reflective layer of tissue called a tapetum.”

 

Nicole’s fascination with underwater wildlife was only trumped by hearing Waverly excitedly list every known fact about them.

 

A smalltooth sawfish swam in line with the two women.

 

“My favorite kindergarten project of the year is when I take the kids here for a field trip. They’re all so inquisitive and soak everything up like tiny sponges. When we get back to class, I have them paint their favorite animal.”

 

A nurse shark caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and she tracked it until she locked eyes with Nicole. Nicole – who was genuinely looking at her. And listening. And smiling.

 

Waverly started apologizing for rambling but Nicole interrupted her.

 

“No. Please, Waverly. Never apologize for who you are and what goes on in that beautiful head of yours. Especially since, you know, I _do_ love life underwater. I used to go to the aquarium with my dad and I’d be so proud of all the facts I knew. I’d puff my chest out, look up at him, and tell him about this walrus fact and that starfish fact, and really anything I could think of. I’ll never forget though how excited I was to tell him how a species of deep-sea squid was found to mate with the same sex…”

Nicole’s eyes glazed over and a pout tugged at the corners of her mouth.

 

Waverly brushed her thumb across the place where Nicole’s dimples usually sprout. She leaned up and kissed Nicole softly. “Well, the same goes for you. I could listen to you talk about walruses all day. Your passion is quite alluring.”

 

Nicole opened her eyes and greeted Waverly’s blown pupils. She grabbed Waverly’s waist and swayed back and forth, pulling her closer with each pendulum of their hips.

 

“Would is be okay if I kissed you right now?” Nicole whispered.

 

Waverly stopped breathing, but her heart beat infinitely faster. Consent was so goddamn sexy.

 

“I think it wouldn’t be okay if you didn’t,” Waverly smirked.

 

Nicole’s quizzical face looked like a confused puppy as she tried to figure out the double negative.

 

“Oh just kiss me, you dork.” Waverly pulled Nicole in and they kissed passionately in front of their audience of an array of fish.

 

Slowly but surely, the kiss grew in passion and became more and more feverish. Teeth clashed. Waverly’s tongue swiped against Nicole’s lower lip, to which Nicole moaned and happily granted her entrance. Waverly bluntly scratched Nicole’s lower neck, pulling her impossibly closer. Their tongues danced and their kisses became sloppier.

 

Nicole, who had been rubbing sweet circles on Waverly’s hip bones, traced her hand up Waverly’s toned torso until her thumb brushed across Waverly’s clothed nipple. Waverly moaned before she swallowed it up with a gasp and pulled away with a wicked smile.

 

The two wore matching bright red blushes.

 

“What?” Waverly whined.

 

“What?” Nicole’s hooded eyes still couldn’t focus on anything other than the ghost of Waverly’s lips on hers.

 

“What were you doing?” Waverly asked through a wide smile and scandalized tone.

 

“Oh- nothing.” Nicole smirked. “Just getting some lint off of you. You’re welcome.”

 

Waverly gasped again and lightly smacked Nicole’s shoulder. “Nicole Haught, you were totally going for a feelskie!”

 

Nicole feigned defeat. “Fine, alright. I’m sorry, but this is like the 23rd time we’ve made out already…my hand kinda acted on its own…I’m really sorry Waves.”

 

Nicole looked down in regret, but Waverly tilted her chin up to look at her.

 

“Hey. I know, I know.” Waverly’s adorable pout appeared when her eyebrows crinkled up. “Actually, I mean, I really don’t know.” She shrugged. “For me, it still feels like the first time.”

 

Nicole held Waverly’s hand and led them out of the shark tunnel, all while chuckling at the absurdity of their situation.

 

“Well Miss Smarty Pants. How about we average it out then?”

 

Waverly giggled and Nicole got caught up for a moment appreciating how adorable that Waverly’s hazel eyes disappeared in wrinkled skin every time she laughed.

 

Nicole shook her head and continued. “It’s the 23rd time for me and the first time for you. That’s about our 12th time.”

 

“Yep! Good math.” Waverly kissed the tip of Nicole’s nose.

 

“Now, Hawaiian law clearly states that after the 12th date, with both parties’ consent, I’m entitled to unlimited boob access.”

 

Waverly held both of Nicole’s hands and brought their interlocked fingers up to hide her blushing face. She kissed each knuckle and stepped closer to Nicole. She abandoned one of the hands to brush a red lock behind Nicole’s ear. She bit her lip and whispered, “I wish I met you just one day before the accident. I mean- just…have you ever met someone and instantly known in your heart that they meant something to you?”

 

“You say that all the time…” Nicole sighed deeply. The sigh encapsulated all of her feelings. Her sadness for Waverly. Her frustration with the situation. The anger at the universe. The humor regarding their banter. The swell of her heart knowing that those same, repeated questions kept getting asked because Waverly liked her. And mostly, a sigh knowing that so much was out of her control.

 

But there was one thing that she could control…

 

“You want to meet a friend of mine?”

 

Nicole wrapped her hands across Waverly’s eyes and guided her through a rock cave.

 

Waverly heard some sort of snorting and splashing, so she tugged the hands away from her face.

 

_Snort._

 

Waverly came face to whisker covered face with a 2000-pound walrus.

 

Her jaw dropped and eyes bugged out.

 

Waverly twirled to Nicole, dragging her into the threshold of the closed-in habitat, and squealed like a child when they get a sneak peek of their birthday presents.

 

Nicole squeezed Waverly’s shoulders from behind and whispered, “Waverly, this is Calamity Jane.” She pushed her forward and announced, “CJ, I’d like you to meet Waverly Earp!”

 

CJ held up one of her gigantic flippers.

 

Waverly immediately stepped up to her and shook her flipper, nodding her head up and down in line with the walrus. “Wow! Thank you. Nice to meet you.”

 

Waverly’s laugh echoed throughout the empty park. She was a vision, and her laugh was truly infectious.

 

Nicole stood behind Waverly, letting her bask in the unique moment and take it all in.

 

“She’s so awesome! You are so smart, Miss Calamity.”

 

Nicole bounced on her toes. “Oh! Check this out.”

 

Waverly glanced at Nicole for only a heartbeat, because she couldn’t keep her attention away from CJ for too long.

 

“CJ, what does the teapot do when the water’s ready?”

 

CJ made a little ‘o’ between her tusks and whistled.

 

Seeing Waverly’s excitement at the trick, Nicole applauded the walrus. “Very good, CJ.”

 

Waverly spun around with her hands in praying form and an award-winning pout on her face. “Please please please can I ask her a question?”

 

Nicole smirked. “Go ahead.”

 

While Waverly asked her question, Nicole just marveled at the color and texture of the hair on the girl in front of her. She quickly clued back into reality though when what was being asked filtered into her clouded mind.

 

“Calamity.”

 

CJ nodded.

 

“Do you think that Nicole and I are ready to take our relationship to the next level?”

 

Nicole’s smirk dropped and her forehead creased. She flapped her flat palm repeatedly behind Waverly’s line of vision.

 

Cj, seeing her command, nodded her head vigorously.

 

Waverly bit her lip. “Do you think I should bring her into the other room and take advantage of her?”

 

Nicole’s eyes bulged and jaw dropped. Her core immediately heated and her underwear started to stick a little. She shook her hand up and down even quicker, staring intently at the walrus.

 

CJ just stared blankly.

 

Nicole groaned and her face contorted in effort, trying to make the animal adhere to her commands. She couldn’t believe she was getting cock blocked by a freaking walrus.

 

Once Nicole’s wrist cramped from her repeated hand motions, CJ started barking and nodding her head up and down.

 

Nicole rolled her eyes and blew air roughly out of her nose. She grumbled quietly about CJ being a stupid, fat asshole

 

Waverly, still smirking at the walrus mirthfully, muttered, “I saw that hand gesture-“

 

“I’m sor-“

 

“-and I’m glad you did it!” Waverly spun and simultaneously jumped into Nicole’s arms.

 

Acting instinctively, Nicole caught her, holding Waverly’s bottom and tenderly squeezing her ass. “Really?”

 

Waverly leaned down to kiss both adorable dimples individually. “ **Nou No Ka ‘I’ini**.”

 

Calamity blew them a big, fishy kiss.

 

With Waverly in tow, Nicole led them down to her office.

 

The two women couldn’t get enough of each other. They slammed open the office door, and once inside, their hands explored parts of each other that hadn’t been touched by the other before. Waverly sucked on Nicole’s pulse point while Nicole tugged Waverly’s jacket off of her shoulders.

 

Nicole felt Waverly’s teeth graze her neck. She took a sharp breath and groaned, the heat only growing; that is, until Nicole realized that the only reason why she felt Waverly’s teeth was because the girl had started laughing. She followed Waverly’s gaze to her office window to where two dolphins danced along in front of it, looking in.

 

“Oh my gosh, they’re—they’re nodding in approval,” Waverly attached herself back to Nicole. “I hope.”

 

Nicole kissed the hollow of Waverly’s collarbone and created a trail of smoldering kisses across her chest and to the dip between her breasts. Between each kiss, Nicole muttered, “They. Like. You. But. Let. Me. Get. Them. Out. Of. Here.”

 

Nicole tore herself away. (A very difficult task, by the way, in which she would never recommend to anyone. If you have Waverly Earp in your arms, never let her go.)

 

“Fish. Levi.” Nicole shooed at the dolphins. “Get a life. Get your own room, you perverts. Thank you.”

 

Waverly hooked Nicole’s belt loops and brought her lips back onto hers.

 

It quickly turned into a game of who could strip the quickest, all while simultaneously kissing the other and mumbling affections now and then.

 

“I must say, though,” Waverly paused to take a ragged breath and Nicole teased her nipple over her bra. “Those dolphins were very nice.”

 

Nicole pulled Waverly’s bottom lip between her teeth, before she licked over it, soothing her. “Yeah,” She pulled back and appreciated Waverly, clad in only a bra and thong. “So are you.”

 

Gravity dragged the two together again until the couch hit the back of Waverly’s knees. About to trip backwards, Nicole held her and laid her down gently. “Let me get you down slow.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Nicole rested comfortably on top of Waverly, like the two were meant for each other. They fit together perfectly, even on the ratty old couch. “My pleasure.”

 

Waverly wrapped her leg around Nicole, encouraging Nicole to thrust down giving her the delicious friction she deserved. Nicole happily obliged.

 

Waverly couldn’t stop cycling between laughter and hearty moans. Nicole’s heart pumped harder knowing that she was bringing these incredible noises out of her.

 

Nicole lowered her body down to Waverly’s torso, kissing a blazing trail as she went. She stole a glance up to see how her choices were affecting Waverly. Seeing Waverly’s eyes shut and lip bitten gave Nicole goose bumps. However, her skin smoothed out when she rack focused behind Waverly to see something in her office window again.

 

Behind the glass, a bikini-wearing, scuba-diving Mercedes gave her a thumbs up.

 

Nicole’s face dropped into a straight line and implied that she was ready to murder. Although Mercedes was her best friend, she was also fucking aggravating. Of course Mercedes would get the shift to clean the dolphin tank the same night she brought Waverly to work.

 

Mercedes’ eyes rolled back and she used her fingers to circle her nipples, just like she had done in the video with the coconuts.

 

Waverly was too blissed out to notice, so Nicole mouthed some harsh words to Mercedes and shooed her away, just as she had done with the dolphins, but with more anger. She couldn’t help but be amused, though, at the lengths the creep would go to making sure she got laid.

 

Mercedes swam up to the surface, but not before aggressively scissoring her fingers while staring Nicole directly in the eyes.

 

Nicole let Waverly pull her head back down.

 

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be at Clexacon this weekend!! I hope to see some of you guys there :)
> 
> Special thanks to EFA Podcast <3 This story got featured on their latest episode and it made my heart grow 3x and my cheeks ache from smiling.
> 
> Next week, things get so freaking fluffy my heart hurts. But like, appreciate it while it lasts ;)


	15. Nau Wale No

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> nau wale no--> just for you

Nicole’s heart hammered away in her chest. Her hands, slicked in sweat, slipped in her feeble attempt to hold tightly onto the ukulele. She couldn’t stop fidgeting and contemplating everything happening. That is, until she looked at Waverly. Her nerves immediately dissipated as she looked into Waverly’s blissed out face.

 

Waverly’s loving gaze kept them both grounded.

 

The two sat comfortably in the sand on the makeshift beach at the water park. Dolphins splashed and danced in the moonlight. No matter how picturesque their surroundings were, Nicole thought nothing could rival her current view of Waverly wrapped up in a bonus blanket and holding a mug of tea.

Nicole glanced down at her chewed fingernails. With one last swallow, she stared at her nimble fingers and focused on the chords. The ukulele’s music that she had been practicing echoed across the sand.

 

“Um-“ Nicole mumbled. “I wrote this song **nau wale no**.”

 

Gathering a bit more of her nerve, Nicole cleared her throat, stared into beautiful hazel eyes, and sang from her heart.

 

 

_“Shorty’s was the place_

_Where I first saw your face_

_We liked each other right away_

_But you didn’t remember me the very next day”_

Nicole prayed that the dolphins squeaking somehow helped with her terrible acoustics and hid the cracks in her voice. Despite how hard she practiced, it was very clear that she wasn’t meant to be a singer.

_“Forgetful waverly_

_Has an ass that’s so damn praiseworthy”_

Waverly pushed her hair behind her ear as she blushed.

_“I used to trick you into pulling your car over so we could chat_

_But my favorite time was when you beat the shit out of Jeremy with a bat_

_And we drove up to see Dr. JC_

_And found out why Doc always has to change his sheets”_

Waverly’s twinkling laughter enraptured Nicole’s attention. Waverly never ceased smiling. Even when her teeth weren’t showing, she always at least had a crooked smile and a gleeful glint in her sparkling eyes. She never looked anywhere except at Nicole.

 

Nicole couldn’t parse through Waverly’s looks and their meanings, wondering if Waverly’s affectionate gaze was just being nice and giving encouragement or if she actually enjoyed the song, but Nicole continued strumming away at her heart’s desire.

 

_“Forgetful Waverly_

_Cracked her head quite mistakenly”_

Waverly blinked slowly, giggling at the funny parts, and reflecting on the truth of the lyrics.

 

Nicole’s dimple made a frequent appearance and warm brown eyes flitted from every feature on Waverly’s beautiful face.

_“But I still love her so_

_And I’ll never let her go”_

 

Waverly’s eyes welled up and she sighed.

_“Even if while I’m singing this song_

_She’s wishing I had my tongue under her thong”_

Any previous melancholy erupted into a fit of laughter and Waverly leaned forward, placing a scalding touch on Nicole’s thigh.

_“Forgetful Waverly_

_Her lips are so damn savory._

_How about another first kiss?”_

Nicole’s vulnerability shone through the song and Waverly took that opening and never let go.

 

Despite a mug and the ukulele blocking her way, Waverly gravitated toward Nicole and gave her a soft peck on the lips, savoring the moment.

 

~~~~

 

The window opened to Waverly’s room, allowing a chill to blow through and the smell of sex to filter out.

 

The only sound breaking through the silence of the night was Waverly and Nicole’s panting. Their breath intermixing. Each shuddery exhale, providing a memory of each intense orgasm that overcame them.

 

Their glowing, sweaty, tired bodies curled up into each other. Both of their eyes stayed closed, if only to allow the memory of their love making to make a stake in their mind and to allow their other senses to take over. They breathed each other in. They memorized the feeling of cuddling up next to each other. They marveled about how the other tasted as they came undone on their tongue. They melted into the sweet smell casted off one another. They were mesmerized hearing each other’s heartbeat slowing down after they both pushed their bodies over the edge. Their hearts and their breath were the only tune they desired to hear.  

 

“Don’t fall asleep,” Nicole grumbled and mumbled her words.

 

Waverly whined and whimpered in response. “I’m not.”

 

Nicole soothingly, yet a vague attempt at urgently, rubbed Waverly’s back, trying to remind her not to fall asleep. The motion had the opposite effect on both of them.

 

“Waverly.” Nicole whispered.

 

Waverly hummed.

 

“Will you marry me?”

 

Waverly’s eyes popped open. She wiggled impossibly closer to Nicole, her eyes flitting from Nicole’s closed eyes to her eyelashes whispering across her rosy cheeks and to her still-swollen lips. While quiet, Waverly whispered with utter conviction.

 

“Of course.”

 

Nicole’s lopsided smile grew. She pulled Waverly all the way into her so that she nestled under her chin.

 

The two tangled and folded into each other as their breathing leveled out.

 

“Don’t forget about me, Waverly.”

 

“Never.”

 

Smiles on their faces, Nicole and Waverly succumbed to sleep.

 

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically for me, it's still Wednesday and I wanted to post for you guys. Yes, it's short, but I think it's really really sweet. And I think we could all use a dose of some Wayhaught fluff <3


	16. Pau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly said yes to the proposal! That should mean that everything is good and happy, right? ...right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Pau--> finished, done  
> Kaimana--> diamond  
> Éhu--> red  
> Mâlie--> Calm down

The sun broke through the ocean’s horizon and cast a myriad of colors that bounced off everything surrounding them. A hue of yellows, oranges, and reds colored the reflection on the sea. The green of the trees turned emerald. The obsidian gems hidden in the gravel rounding the homestead shone through.

 

The early morning light illuminated Waverly’s room and blanketed the sleeping couple in a warm glow. They slept facing each other with their noses just an inch apart. They breathed each other’s air, quietly and peacefully. Waverly’s kimono nuzzled around her, and a naked Nicole further nuzzled around her.

 

Nicole’s eyes fluttered open and she sighed deeply. She woke up to her angel directly across from her. She gave a light kiss on Waverly’s nose.

 

Through her smirk, Nicole whispered, “Good morning.”

 

The corner of Waverly’s mouth tugged up, waking up to the sweet sentiment.

 

Nicole smiled fully.

 

Waverly screamed.

 

Waverly screamed absolutely bloody murder that could entice mass hysteria with her eyes the size of saucers and her body as rigid as a **kaimana**.

 

Nicole viscerally reacted to the shock, shrieking just as loud.

 

“Help! Help!” Waverly screeched, looking frantically around her.

 

Wynonna and Doc, who were busy shooting cans at the crack of dawn, freaked the fuck out hearing the commotion.

 

“Oh shit!” Wynonna flinched, shot way off her target, and ended up flattening the neighbor’s tire. Oops.

 

With only Waverly in mind, Doc and Wynonna ditched their guns and ran back toward the house.

 

Waverly tightly wrapped her kimono around her and catapulted out of the bed, backing away to her desk. She gripped the first solid object she could get a hold of.

 

Nicole half-hazardly attempted to use the bonus blanket from the bed to cover herself in the spirit of modesty. She held out her other hand in a placating way, to try reason with Waverly. That offered hand of comfort quickly turned into a hand for defense to block the items that Waverly started throwing at her.

 

She couldn’t help herself but marvel for a quick second on the sheer force behind the tiny woman’s throw. Hot damn.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Waves. Waverly! Hey, hey, hey. Okay, I know this is hard for you to understand right now-“

 

A high speed flying book interrupted her. She lifted the blanket over her head to block it.

 

“-but we are actually seeing each other.”

 

Waverly’s forehead contorted and her mouth fell agape at the absurdity coming of the strange woman’s mouth. She reached the point of hyperventilating; gasping for air, and huffing out in anger, fear and frustration.

 

Nicole spoke with more urgency. “We’ve been dating for a while now.”

 

Waverly growled and – _oh god she’s so cute when she’s angry_. She crunched up her face and her mouth jutted out into a little pout. She made a grab for her art utensils and chucked them in Nicole’s general direction.

 

Nicole endeavored to yell over the chaos. “OW! Wave! Waves! Waverly! If I was lying,” she took a careful and calculated step forward. “How would I know this-”

 

Nicole’s dimple popped as she thought of everything she’s learned about Waverly that makes her so special.

 

“-you’re an art teacher and you go to Shorty’s café all the time and you make houses throughout history out of your waffles and-and-and- you like…vanilla dipped donuts!”

 

“Stalker!”

 

“No!”

 

Waverly armed herself with one of her fighting sticks.

 

Nicole’s face dropped down into that of a forlorn, lost puppy. “Waverly…don’t you remember me? Just a little?”

 

Waverly wound up and whacked Nicole directly in the side of her head.

 

_Boom_.

 

Nicole went down like a weight.

 

Wynonna and Doc finally burst through the bedroom door to find Waverly hulked out over Nicole, who was effectively knocked out.

 

~~~~

 

Wynonna sauntered into the living room with such swagger, you’d think _she_ was the one who won an uncontested boxing match. She tossed a bag of frozen peas onto Nicole’s lap.

 

“Well, I may not be able to kick your ass, but my sister sure can.”

 

“Thanks buddy.” Nicole dryly acknowledged Wynonna from where she was slumped on the couch. With a hiss, she delicately touched the frozen bag to the side of her head.

 

Doctor Juan Carlo thumped down the stairs and Nicole immediately perked up to hear the news.

 

“Little ninja warrior is a bit shook up, but she’ll be just fine. She’s watching the tape as we speak.”

 

Knowing that Waverly was okay, Nicole sighed deeply and finally focused on the throbbing in her head.

 

“How’s my temporal lobe looking here, JC?” Nicole gingerly removed the bag and grimaced as Juan Carlo poked and prodded.

 

“Don’t worry, Nicole. You’re not gonna suffer any short-term memory loss.” He gripped her chin and squinted. “But…did you have such large dents in the side of your face before she hit you?”

 

Nicole heatedly snatched the bag of frozen peas and held it to her face. “Jesus Christ, they’re _dimples_.”

 

“Wrong JC, Nicole.”

 

The clattering of a chair captured their attention. Wynonna’s finger came jabbing toward Juan Carlo. “Hey! Don’t make fun of Haught like that! It’s not her fault her face is shaped like that!”

 

Wynonna’s outburst sparked a chuckle from the doctor and an eye roll from the redhead.

 

Juan Carlo leaned down to stage whisper to Nicole. “Notice the intense overreaction by the elder Earp? That’s the whiskey talking.”

 

He turned and brushed past Wynonna, “Earp, once again, lay off the booze.”

 

“It’s not booze!” For more of self-assurance, she muttered, “It’s just essentially the water of life…Jesus turned water into whiskey, amirite.”

 

Juan Carlo relaxed against the counter, juggling to put away all of his medical instruments he used to examine Waverly.

 

“So Nicole, the drunkards tell me you’re setting sail for Canada to study walruses. When does that adventure begin?”

 

Upstairs, unbeknownst to all, Waverly had composed herself after finishing watching the video and was on her way down to meet her knight in shining armor. But, ever the polite woman, once Waverly overheard the conversation happening in the living room, her steps faltered. She figured they needed some space. She also took advantage of finally being in-the-know and cherished the ability to be a fly on the wall and listen in on the conversation below.

 

Nicole lounged comfortably, replacing her hold on the bag of frozen peas with a mug of Waverly’s favorite brew of tea. She sipped and let the liquid warm her and soothe the pain in her head.

 

Nicole chuckled ruefully. “Well, that actually began five years ago. That’s when I started planning and building my boat.”

 

Juan Carlo, contributing to the conversation all-so-helpfully, blurted out a fun fact. “All I know about walruses is that, out of all mammals, they have the second largest penis.” He paused for dramatic effect and, then, stated flatly. “I have the first.”

 

Doc got a kick out of that joke and laughed enthusiastically, slapping his knee.

 

Nicole scoffed and rolled her eyes.

 

_Fucking men…_

 

She resorted back to her mug.

 

Doc, Juan Carlo, and Nicole drank tea and continued their conversation, while Wynonna stood in the corner doing bicep curls with her bottle of Jack.

 

Running on a tangent and taking on a protective sister role, a thought occurred to Wynonna. She barged into the conversation. “ **Éhu** , have you told Waverly about this trip yet?”

 

Upstairs, Waverly’s voyeuristic ear perked up at the sound of her name.

 

“Well, actually, there’s nothing to tell because I decided not to go.” Steadfast, Nicole trudged on. “I mean, Waverly needs me here. I’m just worried about going away for a year and ruining all the progress she’s made. I know you think I’m crazy…but I think deep down inside…she’s starting to remember me.”

 

Doc couldn’t seem to make eye contact with her, too empathetically sad for the cards Nicole’s been dealt. Wynonna solemnly dropped her bottle of alcohol on the side table.

 

Juan Carlo took a deep breath. “No, Nicole. That’s what you want to believe. Hell, it’s what we all want to believe. But it’s never going to happen.”

 

Nicole’s eyes got glassy as she stared off into nothing. She gave a small, unsure smile and shrug.

 

Upstairs, Waverly dropped her head onto the door frame. A tear escaped and fell to the wood floor.

 

Nicole pursed her lips and rocked forward into a standing position. “Okay. I gotta go to work. Will you please tell Waves that I’ll be back later to pick her up?” She pointed sternly at Wynonna. “And don’t tell anyone your sister beat me up.”

 

Doc shook his head, waiting until Nicole was sure and gone. “That kid could travel to the edge of the earth and back, and sweet Waverly would not even know that she left.”

 

Juan Carlo shivered. “Honestly, sometimes, I wish my husband Julian had Lucado Syndrome. That way, he wouldn’t remember last night when I called him a no-good, two-timing angel after I thought he was flirting with my brother.” 

 

“Yeah…”

 

He cleared his throat and walked out.

 

~~~~

 

Nicole labored over the makeshift bath in her work uniform. She wore a deep navy blue collared shirt (with the top buttons undone, obviously) and khaki shorts. She dutifully slaved over her work next to the mock igloo exhibit where Dolls liked to hole up, so he could be a moody penguin and enjoy his alone time. Nicole diligently gave the penguin a bath, lathering him up and rinsing him off.

 

“Stay still, you stubborn asshole, or I’m gonna keep man-handling you.”

 

A high pitched, nervous squeal drew her attention away. She noticed Jeremy in the dolphin pool, clad in goggles and mermaid-like, bright pink, glittery flippers.

 

“Jeremy! What the hell are you doing?”

 

Jeremy froze. “Oh! Well, you see. If I take on the roll as their mother and as their role model by dressing—“

 

“You know what, I don’t wanna know.” Nicole interrupted him abruptly.

 

“But it’s the only way I can convince them to do triple flips and hang out with the white kids!”

 

Nicole laughed and rolled her eyes, watching as Jeremy feebly attempted to act like a dolphin.

 

She turned back to her task at hand. “Alright Dolls, all finished up. Now, please, just try to stay clean for at least more than one day. I even made you a nice anchovy sundae. Eat up, okay?”

 

_Squawk!_

“Yeah buddy, enjoy that.”

 

“Nicole?”

 

Waverly’s angelic voice slid into Nicole’s work-addled mind.

 

“Hey!” Nicole perked up with a radiant smile. She cleaned her hands and left all work behind and forgotten. She sauntered over to Waverly.

 

Waverly arched an eyebrow and squinted. “How’s your head?” She asked shyly.

 

Nicole brushed it aside. “Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

 

“Good.”

 

Nicole nudged Waverly and the two started to tread around the outside exhibits.

 

“What brings your royal cuteness out here? I was gonna pick you up.”

 

“I…I needed to see you.” Waverly’s voice sounded off, a little monotone and robotic.

 

“Okay.” A black book under Waverly’s arm caught Nicole’s attention. “Whatcha got there?”

 

Waverly’s eyes sparkled and she smiled as she flipped through the book. “This is my journal.” Her neat, loopy handwriting cascaded the pages in several different colors of ink. News clippings glued in, stickers plastering empty space, and pictures taped on top also filled the lined paper. “I write in it every night.”

 

Nicole broke just a little, but she covered it well with a cough. “Oh. You don’t like the video?” Nicole’s small voice asked.

 

Waverly slammed the book closed. “No, no, no. I _love_ the tape.” She glanced down and wrapped her arms tightly across her body. “Its just that…when I watch it. Sometimes I feel like I’m being told about _my_ life from someone else. But- when I read my journal…it’s like I’m telling myself.”

 

Ever attentive, Nicole nodded and wanted to know more. “When did you start this up?”

 

“Right after you gave me the video.”

 

“Really?”

 

Nicole gave pause to truly reflect on the weight of that implication. Waverly started a journal, putting her life back together piece by piece the way that she wanted to do it, because of the video. Because of the video that _she_ had made. Nicole couldn’t fathom the sheer magnitude of the effect she’s had on Waverly. She played a part in giving Waverly her life back, so that she could truly reach her full potential. And to think, she gets the share that life _with_ Waverly. Nothing in the world was better than knowing that she had positively changed Waverly’s life, that she had inspired her, and that now, she got to be with her. After her father, Nicole never really felt worthy of someone else’s love. She never felt that she could provide any semblance of happiness to anyone, because she had failed to do so in the past. And yet, now, here she was. A beautiful woman in front of her, who let Nicole into her life time and time again. Nicole’s heart fluttered recognizing her own impact and the love that she felt so strongly for Waverly.

 

Waverly giggled. “I was so nervous to come meet the woman who gets me to fall in love with her everyday.” Towards the end of her sentence, the gravity of the weight of the word ‘everyday’ was clearly visible on Waverly’s strained face.

 

Nicole’s dimples popped and she blushed. “Probably thought I couldn’t live up to the hype.”

 

Waverly licked her lips and took a steadying breath. “No…I was nervous because…” Her voice broke out into a quick sob. “Because I came here to break up with you.”

 

Nicole’s whole face dropped. The thumping of her heartbeat rushing in her ears echoed the shattering break of her heart. She gaped and tried to stutter out her confusion.

 

Waverly balled her hands into fists and stood her ground, reciting her thoughts that she had so clearly rehearsed. “You had plans and a life before you met me! And now, all you have time for is to make me fall in love with you.”

 

Nicole’s voice came out abnormally high. “ **Mâlie** , Waverly. That’s not all I do. I gave a penguin a bath today!” She pointed to her ‘Exhibit A’ of proof just to see that Dolls had decided to dump the entire sundae all over himself.

 

_Bastard._

 

“Which I’ll have to do again tomorrow.” She grumbled to herself.

 

Waverly continued, cracking and breaking with each word. “I look at my sister and Doc’s lives and I won’t do that to you.”

 

Nicole resorted to anger and frustration. “What do you want me to do, huh? Be some chapter in your stupid scrapbook and go?”

 

“No.” Waverly avoided Nicole’s eyes. Although quiet, she spoke with an unbelievable amount of strength and certainty. “My plan is to erase you completely, so it’s as if you never existed.”

 

Nicole’s stomach dropped. Her insides twisted, her face heated, her skin broke out in a cold sweat, and a chill ran down her spine. Her breathing felt constricted and she struggled to function.

 

“This,” Waverly motioned between the two of them. “This is **pau**.”

 

Nicole shook her head and let out a humorless laugh. She threw her hands up and whipped around to walk away and give some space. “Why are you doing this?”

 

Waverly approached slowly, as if worrying she would scare Nicole off. “Because you have to understand that there is no future with me! Don’t you want to have a career and marriage and children?”

 

Nicole tightened her hands on her hips and bit into her lip to stop herself from crying out, her eyes already threatening to spill over. She sniffled and composed herself.

 

“I asked you to marry me. Last night. You said yes!” Nicole stuttered and spoke quicker, as if the speedier she stated her counterarguments, the more effective they’d be. “And kids? Yeah, I’d love to have that with you.”

 

Waverly spoke calmly. “How is that going to work? I’m going to wake up every morning with an enormous belly and no memory of how it happened?”

 

Waverly pouted and her eyebrows crinkled up. Her words became watery as she balanced being resolute in her decision while also being devastated because of that decision.

 

“I have to make a new journal that doesn’t have you in it…”

 

The tears started running down both of their faces.

 

Nicole fidgeted and remained tense, trying not to show her emotions because she refused to accept what was happening as real.

 

Waverly flipped through her journal again and got just the hint of a sad smile. “…but before I do that, I really want you to read what I wrote about you.”

 

Nicole flexed her jaw. “I will read about it. Tomorrow. When you’ve forgotten about all this breaking up stuff, okay?”

 

“I’m not going to forget it, Nicole. I wrote it down. I won’t let myself. And I’m going to do it whether you want me to or not…I’ll be at the homestead.”

 

Waverly clutched her journal to her chest as an anchor, and she walked away.

 

Nicole crumpled, turning in on herself. She felt helpless as she watched Waverly walk away. The tears didn’t stop coming, and soon, uncontrollable sobs wracked through her body.

 

In the jeep, Waverly wept. The severity of the sobs tormenting Waverly echoed those that were also torturing Nicole.

 

~~~~

 

Nicole sat, curled up in herself with her head resting on her knees. She felt like just a shell of a person. She stayed in that position until it had grown dark and her face had crusted up with dry tears.

 

Her heart beat for Waverly. There was no denying that.

 

Her purpose for so long had been loving Waverly, and getting Waverly to love her back.

 

She took a shaky, shuddering breath at the clear implication that she had painfully tried to ignore.

 

She steeled herself with a final breath.

 

She loved Waverly.

 

She would do anything for her.

 

Even if that meant erasing herself from Waverly’s life completely…

 

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :,(
> 
> Sorrrrrryyyyyy!
> 
> Guys, I'm not going to spoil you with the how's and the why's, but I need y'all to know that this story has a happy ending. But in order to truly appreciate the sweetness of Wayhaught fluff, we must suffer through the sourness of Wayhaught angst.
> 
> Also, please notice that there are only 2 more chapters and an epilogue left! AH! I've loved this story and all of you guys reading every update. Fret not, though. If you've enjoyed this story, I hope that you'll be happy to know that I've already started outlining my next one :)


	17. A hui hou kakou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OMG HI!! I'm so sorry! Turns out, training my service pup and working on a feature film takes a lot of time and energy, so I haven't been able to write. But I wanted to make sure I got you guys a great ending <3 so this chapter is my longest yet. It....definitely is not what most of you hoped for lol, but don't worry! Next chapter is SOOO freaking fluffy and way haught it'll be great. See you then, my lovely readers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> A hui hou kakou-->until we meet again

The rain pounded down on the shabby roof of the homestead, creating a melancholy cacophony of sounds.

 

Fitting.

 

Waverly and Nicole sat at the brunette’s desk. Despite the situation, the magnetic pull between the two remained stronger than ever, forcing them to sit as close as possible. Every time their thighs grazed each other, electric jolts hummed their way through each other.

 

Everything on the desk and in the room bombarded Nicole. Everything that made Waverly the wonderful woman that she was, sat displayed all around her. She felt borderline claustrophobic. She battled her attachment to every single piece in the room resembling Waverly with the depressing reality that she needed to accept that this was the last time she’d be seeing it all.

 

Waverly’s voice jostled Nicole from her intrusive thoughts.

 

“Okay, type this one in there. _I drove out to Banditos Institute today and had a talk with Dr. Juan Carlo_.”

 

Nicole dutifully typed along with Waverly’s dictations. All the while, she kept her eyes trained on the journal adjacent to her, trying to sneak a peek. Her eyes jumped to the little pink highlighter hearts dotting one of the pages.

 

“ _Turns out, he said that_ -“

 

“There’s an entry about me.” Nicole abruptly pointed to the page that caught her attention.

 

Waverly sucked in her lips and inhaled deeply, before giving a sad smile. “ _Reminder: She makes funny noises when I kiss her neck._ ” She couldn’t help herself and started giggling. She bit her lip and glanced at Nicole with watery eyes. “I’m gonna miss that.”

 

Nicole considered Waverly through her eyelashes. “Are you sure you don’t want me to keep that one in there?”

 

Waverly tensed up, her forehead crinkling and eyes dropping. She licked her lips and ripped the page donning the hearts out of her journal. A pout tugged at the corner of her mouth.

 

Just like that, another memory torn away.

 

Crumpled.

 

And in the trash can.

 

Nicole blew out a harsh breath and flexed her jaw. She nodded her head to refocus back onto typing rather than breaking down.

 

Waverly flipped through a couple more pages before stalling at Nicole’s name again, easily found due to the glitter pink heart above the ‘i’.

 

She blushed and bat her eyelashes. “We can just skip this one.”

 

Nicole gently lay her hand on top of Waverly’s, “Wait, no.” She slowly grinned, accentuating her dimples. “I wanna read it.”

 

Waverly gave in and slid her hand out from under Nicole’s magnetic pull. She became more interested in her fingers and fidgeted with them as Nicole read.

 

“ _We made love tonight!!!!!!_ ” Nicole couldn’t help the deep blush and internal warmth at Waverly’s exuberant use of exclamation points. “ _It didn’t last long, but it was incredible._ ”

 

Waverly raised her eyebrows and brushed some hair behind her ear in order to sneak a glance at Nicole’s reaction.

 

Nicole wore a dopey, earnest grin. “I believe that it’s not really all about how long you go. It’s-” she cleared her throat. “There was a connection, I thought.”

 

The two locked eyes, sharing the quiet moment and wearing soft smiles.

 

Everything felt all warm and fuzzy; Nicole’s thoughts only zeroed in on Waverly. Waverly. Waverly.

 

That was, until, she remembered why she was there.

 

Nicole sucked in her lips and blinked rapidly. “Actually, let’s just rip that out.” She roughly tore the page out of the diary, crumpling it and throwing it in the trash bin.

 

Waverly’s face tensed up as she tried to hold back her tears. She rested her head in her hand, gazing up at the woman she wanted, but could no longer have.

 

Nicole’s fingers itched. They desired to reach across and brush away the worry lines painting Waverly’s forehead. Her lips tingled. They _needed_ to kiss her and make it better. Her stomach ached, because she remained steadfast in her support of Waverly and went back to her task at hand – typing up a journal that erased all the memories that the two of them shared.

 

~~~~

 

The last page slid out of the printer. The simple and clear cover lay on top of the newly typed journal. Only two words adorned the freshly inked page.

 

‘ _READ ME’_

 

And that’s that.

 

Nicole’s heart officially crumbled.

 

That was the final task.

 

And now…

 

She found it hard to appreciate the new journal that will help Waverly live a normal life, especially when her old one, which included their time together, lay burning away in the trash can.

 

Nicole peeked down into the bin. All of the little hearts, her name written in loopy, neat handwriting, and all of the cherished memories she shared with Waverly slowly, but surely, withered away and crumbled to ash.

 

Just like that, Nicole was gone. Erased. No longer to exist in Waverly’s life.

 

Nicole dug her fingernails deep into her hip bones and worried her lip to the point of bleeding. She scuffed her toe repeatedly into the floorboards, unable to control all the fidgeting. The shuddering gasps of pain finally escaped her and she found herself desperately needing to leave the homestead immediately.

 

“Well,” Nicole’s voice broke. “That’s that, I guess.”

 

She pivoted and rushed outside, only to be hit and drenched by the rainstorm.

 

_Perfect._

_The universe just wants to fucking ruin my life._

But then again, maybe it was a serendipitous moment since her rushing tears couldn’t be parsed out from the fat rain drops running down her heated face.

 

“Nicole, wait!” Waverly’s desperate plea rang loud and strong through the storm.

 

And so she stopped (of course). Her body heaved. She looked up to the sky before she squeezed her fists, took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and turned back around to face Waverly one last time.

 

Waverly, the one who ran out of the house at the last second to catch Nicole before she left, patiently waited.

 

Waverly, the one who consistently ran at a cold temperature despite Hawaii’s heat, stood shivering in already sopping wet clothes.

 

Waverly, the one who experienced so much pain and loss in her life, wore her feelings clearly on her face, exemplifying her deep sorrow, while her eyes revealed the smallest tinge of hope.

 

Nicole, however, didn’t let those eyes faze her. She stayed rigid and tense, holding in the sounds of her heartbreak and refusing to breathe until she heard what Waverly had to say.

 

Waverly’s wall broke down and her vulnerability shined through her shy eyes. “Can I have-,“ she winced, and regained her confidence. “Can we have one last first kiss?”

 

The rain thundered.

 

Nicole swallowed, and gave a terse nod.

 

Waverly took a shuddering breath and lunged forward. Her hands pulled behind Nicole’s neck, holding Nicole tightly in her arms and trying to tug her even closer than their already flush bodies.

 

The kiss smoldered. The heat between them made it seem as though the cold raindrops sizzled on contact.

 

Nicole’s love poured out of her; she gave Waverly everything in that kiss. Their tongues intermingling were the promises made that will never be kept. Their lips sliding against each other were the cherished memories that won’t be remembered. Their grinding bodies were the loving connections they made that will forever be frayed and broken. Their hands tangled in each other’s hair was a reminder of their constant echo of selfless love for one another – Waverly loving so much that she was willing to erase Nicole in the hopes that she would get her life back, and Nicole loving so much that she was willing to let Waverly go if that was what she truly wanted.

 

Nicole pulled back swiftly, just as a sob begged to be relinquished. The pain overwhelmed her. She couldn’t indulge Waverly any longer with her own heart ripping in two. She pushed Waverly away until enough distance stood between them. Unable to handle it anymore, she turned tail and ripped through the mud to get back to her car.

 

Waverly dragged her hands through her hair, tugging at her head, and dropped to her knees, sinking down.

 

Thunder split through the air, indistinguishable from the howls of despair coming from Nicole and Waverly.

 

~~~~

 

Earth kept spinning. Time kept moving forward. Gravity kept them from floating.

 

And heartbreak kept hurting – for Nicole, at least.

 

Waverly continued living as if nothing had happened. She painted on any surface she could find. She constructed exquisite waffle houses. She bumped along the dirt road in her jeep. Every morning, she read from her journal and learned that she suffered from Lucado Syndrome and couldn’t commit any short term memory. Waverly remained eternally grateful that she lived each day to the fullest, knowing the truth of her situation; however, she had no recollection of who to thank for it.

 

Nicole, on the other hand, faded. She continued working at the water park, but her thoughts consistently strayed to tan, sun-kissed skin. She finished up fixing her boat, but couldn’t relish in the accomplishment since she only wanted to celebrate with a certain brunette.

 

With the work on the boat done and ready to set sail, Nicole no longer had any activities to keep herself busy. She found herself on the homestead porch one afternoon, desperately pounding at the door.

 

_“Wynonna, please. I can’t do this anymore.”_

_“You have to, Haught.”_

 

On a sweltering hot day, Nicole wore a Stetson at work to keep her face from frying and the shade from the hat prohibited her from squinting her eyes. Clipboard in hand, she stood on the outskirts of the dolphin tank and observed their behavior with the guests. She gnawed on her pen to keep her concentration from drifting; however, it turned damn near impossible to chew on a pen when Nicole’s mouth hung open in shock and nerves.

 

Her eyes locked onto Waverly.

 

There. Right there. In Nicole’s place of work. Stood Waverly.

 

Nicole recognized the group of people surrounding her as other patients from the Banditos Institute. She stood in awe and marveled at Waverly’s hair bouncing, and the cute little way she gawked at the sea animals.

 

Nicole’s eyebrows creased and she smirked, waiting for Waverly to make eye contact with her.

 

Their eyes met.

 

Nicole’s heart flutteeds and she bit down on her lower lip in a vain attempt to contain herself.

 

Waverly sauntered by and offered a polite smile. As she passed, she raked her eyes down Nicole’s body, checking her out and appreciating the view.

 

But just like that, Waverly was gone.

 

Nicole’s face dropped. She swallowed thickly and blinked back her tears.

 

~~~~

 

Nicole’s slimy fingers signified the end of an era in her life. She fed Calamity Jane one last time and experienced the final joys of spending time with her favorite walrus that started it all.

 

She lounged on one of the rock structures, with her head in her hands using the slime and the smell to ground her.

 

“I’m gonna miss you buddy, but I gotta get the hell of this island.”

 

CJ snorted.

 

“I know.” Nicole roughly blew out some air. “I’m sorry I can’t take you, but you’ve lived here so long that you’re too big of a pansy to defend yourself.”

 

CJ nodded her head and grunted in agreement.

 

“Eh. I don’t feel bad for you. I know you got a thing going on with Stupid Carl.”

 

Stupid Carl stuck out his tongue from across the water.

 

“Stupid Carl _and_ Malcolm?”

 

Malcolm blew a kiss to CJ from their sleeping grounds.

 

“Stupid Carl, Malcolm, _and_ Marty?!”

 

Marty emerged from the water, stood tall and puffed his big blubbery chest out.

 

“Yeah, sure. I fell for one chick and I’m losing my mind. Good luck with that.”

 

Nicole rolled her eyes, but succumbed to the high five that CJ’s flipper offered her. She leaned down to make her own offer of her cheek, which CJ leaned in to kiss.

 

“Okay baby.” She packed up her supplies. “I love you. Remember to have them use a condom. Or in their case, a Hefty bag.”

 

She chuckled to herself. But right before she exited the exhibit, after being so cavalier, she looked back and her heart longed to stay in the familiar. She was leaving her happiness behind.

 

She pursed her lips, steeled herself, and walked out.

 

~~~~

 

The steady rocking of the boat lulled Nicole into numbness. She felt tired and it reflected in her worn out voice. She moseyed around the main deck, ensuring that her meticulous check list succeeded before she set sail.

 

A loud, obnoxious whistle broke the natural silence.

 

“Hey little walrus lover! Your ass is looking absolutely bangable in those shorts. Mmmhmmm.”

 

Nicole rolled her eyes and turned to greet Mercedes on the dock, only to be surprised to see that her farewell committee also included the kids and Jeremy.

 

Mercedes, dressed in her typical next to nothing attire, stood accompanied by her kids. Jeremy stood a little awkwardly to the side, dressed in his typical khaki best, showing off his supposedly killer calves.

 

“Aw, you guys. Thanks for coming to say goodbye.” Nicole trotted over the plank to wrap her best friend into a hug.

 

“Be careful,” Mercedes whispered.

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Nicole pushed Mercedes away and looked down at the kids. “Now make sure your mother doesn’t get eaten by a shark.”

 

All five ginger headed nuggets nodded their heads in unison, taking in the sound advice.

 

Mercedes dragged Nicole’s attention back to her. She pounded a fist to her chest, looking quite forlorn, as she spoke with intensity. “E ho’iho’i mai ia’u i kahi kapa.”

 

Nicole’s eyebrows crinkled at the emotional significance of Mercedes’ goodbye. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Thanks Mercedes. What does that mean again?”

 

Without missing a beat, and with the same amount of intensity, Mercedes revealed what the phrase meant.

 

“Bring me back a T-shirt.”

 

“Oh-, uh. Yeah, okay. You got it.” Apparently her body wanted to mortify her because she gave Mercedes a lackluster thumbs-up.

 

Shaking her head, Nicole called the whole family into a big group hug. “Come here. All right. Love you guys.”  She kissed the back of Mercedes head, who roughly pushed Nicole away while gagging in response.

 

“My shirt size is small-“

 

_Splash!_

 

Water flew onto the dock, followed by little giggles.

 

“Hey! Kikikuloa!” Mercedes yelled. “No flippies off the dock! You could get hurt!”

 

Energy buzzed amongst the kids, and before Mercedes could stop it, they all flipped off the dock. Their screams and laughter echoed along the dock.

 

“No!” Mercedes groaned. “All right. Let the master show you how to get it done.”

 

Mercedes shimmied and puckered her lips. She geared up, reared back, and…

 

Masterfully failed. She landed directly into a belly flop. Her pain was heard round the island.

 

“Aw fuck! Now you kids gotta go down to the bottom and find my boobs. And my dignity.”

 

~~~~

 

Once the sun hit the highest point in the sky, Nicole hurried back onto her boat for the last touches. With her head under the boom, she rummaged around one of the crates until a familiar voice popped up.

 

“Sure you don’t want to take Doc?”

 

_Bang._

 

Nicole lurched hard and fast after colliding directly into the boom. “Hey!” She shook the pain and her shock off quickly. “What the heck are you guys doing here?”

 

Wynonna sluggishly laid back on the mast, casually overseeing Doc do the bitch work carrying a heavy box.

 

Nicole finally had a familiar lightness in her features. She couldn’t stop smiling while she watched their antics.

 

“I spoke to the harbormaster and he said you were setting sail today,” Wynonna shrugged. “So we thought we’d wish you bon voyage.” She kissed her fingers and blew them into the sky.

 

Meanwhile, Doc never shifted his gaze away from the box he carried. His moustache twitched and he thrust the box out into Nicole’s direction.

 

“This is from Nedley and Gus. To their favorite peanut butter cup…” He pulled back the top of the box to reveal the contents within.

 

“Whiskey and cigars. That’s very nice,” Nicole smirked.

 

“I love whiskey and cigars,” Doc muttered. He shot his piercing blue eyes up at Nicole. “Can I have it?”

 

“Uh.” Nicole stuttered before she shrugged and muttered, “I guess.”

 

Doc slammed the box shut and scurried away.

 

“Doc, god damn it!”

 

“No, Wynonna. That’s all right.” Nicole laughed.

 

The mood shifted when Nicole was left alone with Wynonna. “So…” she fidgeted from foot to foot. “How’s Waverly?”

 

“Actually, she’s living at the institute.”

 

Nicole frowned. “When did that happen?”

 

“Three weeks ago. Said she didn’t want to be a burden to me and Doc anymore. I don’t know.” Wynonna shrugged flippantly, but Nicole saw the desperation in her eyes. “I couldn’t talk her out of it.”

 

Nicole opened her mouth to express her concern, but Wynonna interrupted with a hint of smile.

 

“-but you know what? She’s doing really great up there.”

 

Nicole raised her eyebrow.

 

“Yeah,” Wynonna continued. “She’s teaching an art class and she gets to paint every day. In fact, she’s even singing again.”

 

Nicole sighed. She loved hearing about Waverly’s new life at the institute, but it became abundantly more clear that she didn’t need her.

 

Wynonna noticed. “Hey, look, I got a little gift for you too.” She tossed a CD to Nicole. “It’s just a little something from one sailor to another one.”

 

Wynonna lobbed her hand out for a shake, but Nicole quickly brought her in for a tight hug. The moment was short-lived, as they separated and resorted to just forcefully patting each other’s shoulders.

 

“You take care of yourself out there, **Éhu**.”

 

“I will.”

 

“ **A hui hou kakou.”**

Nicole’s breathing faltered. Afraid to use her voice, she chose to just nod. Her round, tear filled eyes exemplified the gratitude she felt for the woman in front of her.

 

~~~~

 

From the dock, they all waved as Nicole set sail and disappeared into the sea beyond.

 

Jeremy and Doc stood next to each other, watching Nicole as she sailed away.

 

Jeremy leaned in a bit to Doc’s side. “Nicole didn’t tell me about you. I like your fisherman muscles.” He blushed. “Can I touch?”

 

Doc, with a mischievous mirth in his eyes, drawled out, “Sure.” He flexed his bicep, making it buldge just a bit more.

 

Jeremy grabbed Doc’s butt.

 

“Yes.” Jeremy squeezed.

 

Doc squealed.

 

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp. Sorry to wait a month and then leave it on this ending hahaha. It'll be worth it, I promise!! Let me know how you feel :)


	18. Ho’i hou ke aloha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole follows her heart. Does it end in happily ever after? Or will reality slap her in the face?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter's Hawaiian phrase will be translated on the end notes cause it might be a spoiler...
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy the penultimate chapter!!! Leave a comment or a kudos, and then check in for the epilogue :) Thanks for joining me on this outrageously fun ride.

The winds caught the tips of each choppy wave, creating a frothy white cap and throwing sprouts of salty mist into the air. The winds spreading out from the mainland were the perfect speed to carry Nicole’s boat out further and further.

 

Nicole, who allowed herself to be enraptured by the glistening light sparkling off the water for long enough that her friends were tiny specks, gravitated toward Wynonna’s departing gift.

 

The rectangular gift clearly screamed, ‘I’m a CD! Listen to me as you sail into loneliness on the open seas!’

 

So she unwrapped it.

 

Nicole raised her eyebrow, “Olly Anna?”

 

She flipped it over to see the track list and her eyes immediately landed on a perfectly written ‘Write My Story.’

 

Nicole smiled, void of any humor. She shook her head back and forth as she slowly muttered, “Aw. How nice of Wynonna to give me a CD that will remind me of all the wonderful times I shared with her sister…”

 

She looked up to the heavens. “What an ASSHOLE!” She thrust the CD out, aggressively shaking it toward whatever higher power was fucking with her.

 

The boat drifted and the island slowly faded behind her.

 

~~~~

 

“ _I’m the only one who can write my story_!”

 

Have you ever seen someone cry so outrageously that their face contorts?

 

Yep.

 

Nicole ugly cried. Full on. Face drooped down, mouth gaping open, tears rushing out, sighing and gasping for air.

 

But, ever resilient, she didn’t let her emotions stop her. She carried on and continued to sing as loud as possible.

 

“ _Nobody else’s gonna do it for me_! _Anything at all that I wanna be. I got it all in front of meeeeee--_ ”

 

Her voice cracked as she reached the last note, letting it drag on for way too long. It ended up dissolving into a full blown breakdown.

 

“Why?! Why would you do this to me you over-protective bitch?!”

 

She dropped her head into the crook of her elbow in an attempt to steady herself. With a slurpy sniff, she looked back up over the wheel.

 

“Oh my god.” Nicole blinked rapidly. “Is she trying to tell me something?”

 

The music drifted out as Nicole immersed herself in her memories.

 

***

 

_Waverly’s brush strokes broadened as she swayed her hips with the beat. “Imma do it like this, do it like that.” Paint splattered everywhere, but Waverly was as happy as could be._

***

 

_Doc noticed and spoke up, looking Nicole straight on. “She only sings on the days that she meets you.”_

***

 

_That compelled Wynonna to contribute. “…she’s always singin’ it when she’s inna good mood.”_

***

 

Nicole’s eyebrows crinkled and her nose scrunched up. Her theory whispered across the open sea. “She remembers me?”

 

Now, the music fell on completely deaf ears since Nicole’s blood pumped so loud and fast that it trumped everything.

 

She lunged to rapidly turn the wheel, but her sweaty palms made her slip multiple times. Getting a steady grip, she cut a tight U-turn and leaned with the boat’s momentum. She yelled out, laughing as adrenaline pumped through her veins.

 

~~~~

 

Inside the Bandito Institute, on the fourth floor, Waverly wandered around the art room. While her bright blue kimono top drew attention, it was her mega watt smile that captivated her audience of patients, doctors, and acquaintances. She swerved around easels, tossing soft compliments to those who needed them.

 

“Excuse me?” A lean, baby-faced guy with luscious side-swept hair politely called for Waverly’s attention. “What am I doing?”

 

Waverly turned on her charm and sweet smile. “Well, Robin, you’re painting a picture. And you’re doing a great job.” She winked and turned to observe the rest of those in her art class.

 

Robin smiled, blushing at the compliment. He picked up his paint brush to resume his masterpiece, only to find a crudely drawn, stick figure type, dark-skinned boy holding a bag of vegan sticks.

 

“Oh crap.” Robin reared back, blinking through his surprise. “I suck!”

 

~~~~

 

Nicole had never been more thrilled to be on land. She ran as fast as her feet would let her, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference how quickly she could get to Waverly, but her heart pounding to the beat “Write My Story” pushed her to go faster. One of her sandals started to fall off and get in her way, so she decided to just kick them off. Only now, her bare feet were in constant contact with the blistering hot pavement.

 

_Oh well. More motivation to move my damn feet faster_.

 

She tore through the welcome door of the institute, appreciating the cool linoleum floor but not taking the time to soak in it.

 

That is, until she heard a voice bellow out.

 

“Can we help you, ma’am?”

 

Nicole skid to a stop. It only now dawned upon her that she was sneaking into a private medical facility.

 

From behind the desk, Kyle York sized her up. “What’s your name?”

 

Nicole, panting heavily from the run and her sudden anxiety at the predicament she found herself in, put her hands on her hips and looked anywhere but at the York brothers. “Ummm.” She couldn’t think of a lie fast enough. “Ummm.” She could literally pick any name. “My name?” She could even use her own name. “Ummm.” Just say _something_ , literally _anything_. “My name isssss….”

 

Nope. She chose to stutter like a bumbling fool instead.

 

As Kyle’s suspicion grew, the other York brother, Pete, flashed a sympathy smile with concerned eyes. Under his breath, he murmured to his brother. “Dude, she forgot her name. I feel bad for her.”

 

He gestured for Nicole to continue her quest up the stairs. “Go right on ahead ma’am. Good luck with that memory problem!”

 

Nicole’s jaw dropped. “Memory-, um, oh yeah. Cool thanks.” She’d never loved a dumb, straight, white guy more than in this moment.

 

Pete winked and gave her a thumbs up.

 

She held back her gag and skipped right up the stairs. She lunged up two steps at a time. Without even realizing it, Waverly’s name escaped from her lips like an excited little kid skipping with anticipated joy.

 

“God dammit,” Nicole whispered as she collided straight into Remember-Me-Not Rosita.

 

Rosita smirked and waved. “Hey, I’m Rosita!”

 

Nicole calmed herself straight down into a game plan and reached out for Rosita’s hand. “Hi Rosita. We’ve met before. My name is Nicole. Maybe you can help me? I’m looking for Waverly, do you know-“

 

Rosita smiled and waved, again. “Hey, I’m Rosita!”

 

Nicole rolled her eyes and groaned. This was not the time.

 

“Hi Rosita!” She brushed past her and continued her ascent. “Bye Rosita!”

 

Nicole finally reached the art room and burst through the double doors, causing an absolute commotion. She looked at all of the individuals in the room, some with bandaged heads, some with neck braces, and some with paint brushes in hand; but, all of them, stared right back at the weird stranger disturbing the peace.

 

Breathing heavily with her heart fluttering wildly, her brown eyes finally came across hazel ones.

 

Her breathing faltered. She dropped her arms down, palms facing out. She stood completely open for the woman who stood across the room. Her most vulnerable moment, standing there in a room full of strangers prepared to confess her undying love and whisk her away into the sunset.

 

“Can I please ask you something?” Nicole swallowed and steadied herself. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

 

Waverly’s face gave no hint as to what she was thinking. Her mouth gaped open a bit, and her eyes had rounded, but otherwise, she just stared.

 

The two breathed for a moment, as the rest of the patients in art class stared on.

 

Nicole’s dimples popped. She could feel the electricity in the air. Waverly was taking her time to answer, because the memory was so momentous. Nicole could feel it.

 

Waverly started to say something, but just wrinkled her forehead and tilted her head. She spoke softly.

 

“No?”

 

Nicole’s face dropped.

 

She had completely broken down all of her defenses, laying herself open to the woman in front of her. To the woman who just stomped on the last fleeting bit of hope she held in the back corner of her heart.

 

Nicole sucked her lips in and held back her tears. “Well, that sucks.” She laughed, void of any humor.

 

Waverly took a tentative step forward. “What’s your name?”

 

“I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.”

 

Waverly continued her cautious approach toward Nicole. She pointed her thumb back behind her. “Nicole. I want to show you something. Will you come with me?”

 

“Yeah, Waverly. Where you go, I go.”

 

Waverly led Nicole into a dusky room, where the only light filtered naturally through an open window.

 

She shyly looked up at Nicole through her eyelashes. “This is my private studio.”

 

Nicole stepped in and took in her surroundings. Her stomach dropped instantly, but simultaneously she felt her head go straight up to the clouds. Her fingers and toes tingled with energy, yet she felt rooted to the spot. That’s what love will do to you, she guessed.

 

Nicole stood in the middle of a room – in the middle of _Waverly’s_ private room – surrounded by portraits of herself.

 

Every medium of art imaginable captured Nicole’s likeness. Airbrush, crayon, oil paint, watercolor. Canvas, fabric, plaster, wood.  Abstract and realistic, large brush strokes and sponge dotting, small and grand. Even one painting of a vanilla dipped donut with bright red hair.

 

“Wow.” Nicole’s voice came out in a choked whisper.

 

Waverly crossed her arms over her chest and looked just as shell shocked as Nicole. “I don’t know who you are, Nicole,” she took a few steps until she stopped close enough to see the glinting sunshine on Nicole’s ginger hair. “But I dream about you every night.”

 

Nicole’s quick intake of breath echoed in the quiet of the room.

 

“Why?” Waverly whispered.

 

Nicole looked down and marveled at how the light caught each speckle of colored dust in Waverly’s eyes.

 

“What would you say if I told you that notebook you read every day used to have a lot of stuff about me in it?”

 

Waverly bit down on her lip as her eyes shined with tears. “I would say that that makes a lot of sense.”

 

Nicole chanced a step closer. “You erased me from your memories because you thought you were holding me back from having a full and happy life.”

 

A tear escaped down Waverly’s cheek as she solemnly nodded along.

 

“But you made a mistake.” Nicole’s resolve left her with that, and she let the honest-to-god truth roll off her tongue. “Being with you is the only way I _could_ have a full and happy life.”

 

Waverly smiled brighter than Nicole had ever seen. Her eyes crinkled into crescent moons and her cheeks tinted pink.

 

“You’re the girl of my dreams, Waves.” Nicole broke the intensity of the moment to take a step back and acknowledge the room filled with her portraits. She smirked her signature dimple-popping, lopsided smile. “And apparently, I’m the girl of yours too.”

 

They laughed, finally put at ease.

 

Waverly sobered and looked up at Nicole with a glint in her eye. “Nicole.” With ease, she reached for Nicole’s hands and held them in her own. “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

They both sighed in relief, feeling whole again.

 

“Waverly,” Nicole whimpered. “It is _so_ nice to meet you too.”

 

Nicole brushed some loose hair back behind Waverly’s hair, reveling in how soft the woman was. She kept her hand there as her eyes flitted down to Waverly’s lips.

 

Waverly dropped her hands to Nicole’s hips and pulled her in flush with her.

 

They smiled.

 

They leaned in.

 

And they kissed.

 

Nicole whispered on soft, warm lips. “ **Ho’i hou ke aloha, ku’u lei**.”

 

 

 

~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho’i hou ke aloha --> let us fall in love all over again  
> ku’u lei --> my beloved


	19. Ku`uipo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well here it is folks! Just a big ol’ bucket of fluff to REMEMBER ME by <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hawaiian words bolded and translated:
> 
> Ku`uipo--> sweetheart

Waverly’s eyelids scrunched tightly shut before they groggily, and adorably, opened up. Her joints popped and muscles pulled as she stretched as far as she could from her hands to her feet. An ungodly pterodactyl-like noise escaped from her as she moaned all of her hatred for being awake and having to get up.

 

She continued stretching and refusing to wake up, since she had had the most wonderful dream about a redheaded woman with a top shelf ass.

 

As her eyes finally focused, she looked around the room and grew deeply confused. Adorable as ever, Waverly’s eyebrows crinkled. Nothing looked the same.

 

Her eyes came across an old fashion VHS tape on the bedside table. She tilted her head to read the label along the side. ‘ _GOOD MORNING, WAVERLY’_

The crease in her eyebrows deepened, but she ended up shrugging. She obviously needed to see what the hell that thing had to show her. She slid the tape into the player at the foot of her… new(?) bed.

 

The same words that titled the tape flashed on the screen, as Waverly’s favorite song played over it.

 

 

 

_A series of footage appeared page by page. Pictures that Wynonna had taken of the murals she created in the garage, the newspaper describing the accident, the notes from her students, the picture of her in the hospital, and more._

Waverly stayed glued to the screen in shock. Tears started to form as she realized that she remembered none of it. But just as the first tear threatened to fall, a hilarious home video caught her attention.

 

 

 

_Gus and Nedley chased Mercedes, clad in her infamous coconut boob outfit, as they tried to get her under control in the café._

_The camera turned to center on Waverly and Nicole._

Waverly shot straight up. There, on the screen in front of her, she was standing enfolded in the arms of the woman from her dream! And--  and they kissed! While smiling!

 

Waverly’s eyes bulged into giant saucers. Her mouth refused to close. She tilted her head, observing how happy she looked in the video and how she had laughed with more brightness than she had ever bared witness to. She scooted closer to the TV and admired the redheaded woman. She seemed to only have eyes for her. The woman looked at her as if she were the most precious and perfect thing on the planet. Waverly’s heart melted at the spectacle, and she only continued turning into a blubbery, happy mess when the video transitioned to an extremely special memory…

 

 

 

_“Do you, Nicole Haught, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife…to have and to hold from this day forth…as long as you both shall live?”_

_Mercedes uttered the words while wearing a pantsuit so revealing that Waverly couldn’t help but blush. She stood underneath the most intricate flower altar, that was no doubt painstakingly and begrudgingly woven by Gus. The beach stretched on behind them and into the sparkling ocean reflecting their perfect paradise._

_“I do.”_

_Nicole's eyes shone with disbelief and love as she whispered those words to the love of her life, in front of all their friends and family. She wore a pale blue suit, accentuating her bright red hair. Lei after lei hung around her neck and framed her gorgeous face._

_“Yay!” Waverly squealed, causing an uproar of laughter from the peanut gallery._

Waverly looked down at her hand and gasped. There. On her left hand. A sparkling diamond ring.

 

 

 

_Waverly’s dress was worthy of Nicole’s drooling stare. The white lace cut a deep V, with a sheer white fabric covering the outline of her breasts. The lacey sleeves flowed delicately down her arms, casting an angelic glow around her. A beautiful flower crown made up of plumeria rested atop her head, only rivaled by the beauty of her radiant smile._

_“Really?” Mercedes grimaced. “Even though, in like 10 years she could possibly let herself go and then, like, sex could be, like, nauseating for you?”_

_Waverly gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold in her laughter._

_Nicole rolled her eyes. “What are you, nuts?! Plus, your husband’s literally right over there!”_

_Mercedes shrugged. “As long as there is a mirror and I can look at my hot bod, then I can deal with it.”_

_Nicole gagged and nearly barfed._

Waverly couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up. She loved watching the group’s antics, especially between the two redheads.

 

 

 

_“I now pronounce you woman and wife.”_

_Nicole pulled Waverly into her arms and took a moment to just smile and gaze into her wife’s eyes. Waverly, never being the patient one, rolled her eyes, grabbed onto Nicole’s suit jacket, and hefted herself up to Nicole’s lips, pulling her down to meet her in a smoldering kiss, cementing their lives together._

_The camera panned to show everyone clapping for them. It came across Doc and Jeremy sitting next to each other. Er- actually, Doc was sitting with Jeremy partly resting on Doc’s lap and holding hands. They smiled, happy for their friends, but then Doc kissed Jeremy on the cheek to remind him that they’re also happy for each other._

_The video started to trail off as the camera followed Waverly and Nicole as they ran down the aisle, hand in hand, blissful as could be._

Waverly’s wide eyes roamed around the room, ever curious, especially as Nicole’s voiceover lead her to start her day.

 

 

_“It’s very cold, so when you’re ready, put on a jacket and come have breakfast with me. Love you.”_

Before she could even fathom getting dressed, Waverly’s inability to handle the anticipation encouraged her to jump on her bed to reach the curtains to her window. She pulled them apart and her jaw dropped. Her eyes opened wider, simultaneously being stunned with the view and trying to take it all in.

 

Directly before her, a wide expanse of water lead up to her window, indicating that she currently resided on a boat. A glacier stretched out towards the left and plenty of snowy mountains disturbed the horizon. She had woken up to the polar opposite of her homeland in Hawaii.

 

~~~~

 

Waverly emerged from her sleeping quarters and stepped out into the freezing open air. The cold ocean wind instantly colored her nose and cheeks red.

 

Her eyes scanned the deck until she came across a breakfast table where a woman—er, her wife—talked to a little redheaded girl in a blue, feathery, fluffy jacket.

 

Nicole glanced up and caught Waverly’s gaze. She looked at her wife’s bedhead and smirked. “Morning sleepy head. Would you like to meet your daughter?”

 

Waverly’s eyes sparkled, on the edge of the happiest of tears.

 

The girl, no more than five years old, squealed with excitement and very cautiously approached Waverly. “Hi mommy!”

 

Waverly gasped and her voice cracked. “Hi baby girl.”

 

The rambunctious mini-Nicole jumped into her mommy’s arms.

 

Waverly, seemingly a pro, enwrapped her daughter in a hug filled with love and apparent years of attachment. Sure, she might not have ever seen her before, but she knew. She knew this little girl was special. She knew this little girl was hers. All because that tiny angel looked like the woman standing right across from her, who appeared in her dreams that very night.

 

Nicole’s dimples made Waverly weak in the knees, especially when Nicole sauntered over to her to place a soft kiss on her lips.

 

“Good morning, **Ku`uipo,** ” Nicole whispered on Waverly’s lips.

Waverly giggled and held her daughter tighter. Her eyes scrunched until no more hazel showed and her smile made up the majority of her face. “Oh my goodness,” she laughed again, borderline an excited squeak.

 

Nicole looked back over her should and motioned Waverly’s attention toward the stern. “Auntie’s here!”

 

Waverly gasped, yet again, and her smile got impossibly bigger. “Hi Wynonna.”

 

Wynonna saluted at Waverly with a lazy smile, her other hand holding her 9am beer.

 

A chubby, little hand stroked the side of Waverly’s face and twirled her hair, beckoning for her attention.

 

Waverly smiled shyly mere inches away from her daughter’s face. Her eyes tracked all over her, taking note. She saw a dimple, fiery red hair, and soft features. She looked in her eyes and saw hazel. A tear dropped down her face in amazement. There, in the beautiful little girl’s eyes, she saw a part of herself in her daughter.

 

“Dainty and delicate in blue,” Waverly kissed the tip of the girl’s nose. “Pure perfection.”

 

Waverly knew. She knew, on this boat in the middle of nowhere with a family that she gained in an instant, that her life was full. Full of love. Full of happiness. Full of wonderful memories.

 

Nicole graced the small of Waverly’s back, leaning into her family and kissing the top of both of their heads.

 

Waverly looked up at her in awe. This magical woman who did all of this. Did all of this for her. Did all of this _with her_. She knew, that no matter what, she would always remember her.

 

 

~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed by first AO3 story! I'm so excited to share the next one :) PLEASE share with me what your favorite part of the story was!!!! Mine, hands down, will always be all of Nicole's failed attempts. I love Nicole's resilience, and love, and fluff, and determination, all wrapped in a package of humor lol
> 
> Question: Do you guys want me to go on hiatus and get like the first 4 chapters written? Or do you want me to post the first chapter next Wednesday and then I'll post every other week instead of every week?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!! Thanks so much for reading :) I literally created this account the day after seeing the movie because I NEEDED to see our loving, strong, passionate, and loyal Nicole Haught make an anterograde amnesiac Waverly Earp fall in love with her every day. Ugh so cute.
> 
> Anyway, please please please comment and/or kudos if you like it! I only want to continue if I know there's an audience for it. Also, I'm new to this, so any suggestions or advice would be greatly loved and appreciated. Thanks! And I'll be updating every/ every other Wednesday.


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